Matted Bossiaea

Bossiaea buxifolia is a prostrate to weakly erect shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 50 cm (20 in) tall, although sometimes as high as 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) and has softly-hairy stems. The leaves are arranged alternately, elliptic to egg-shaped or more or less round, mostly 2.5–5.0 mm (0.098–0.197 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide on a petiole 0.2–0.5 mm (0.0079–0.0197 in) long with narrow triangular stipules 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long at the base. The flowers are usually borne on short side branches, each flower 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long and borne on a pedicel 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long with a few small bracts and bracteoles 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long at the base. The sepals are 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long and joined at the base with the upper lobes 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) long and the lower lobes slightly shorter. The standard petal is yellow with a red base, a darker colour on the back and up to 9 mm (0.35 in) long, the wings yellow and orange and slightly shorter than the standard, and the keel dark red to purplish and less than 6 mm (0.24 in) long. Flowering occurs from spring to early summer and the fruit is a narrow oblong pod 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long.

Matted bossiaea grows in forest and woodland occurs south from Kroombit Tops National Park in south-eastern Queensland, along the coast and tablelands of eastern New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to the ranges east of Omeo in eastern Victoria.

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