Kennedia prostata

Taxobox
name = Running Postman


image_caption = "Kennedia prostrata" in Drummond Nature Reserve.
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fabales
familia = Fabaceae
subfamilia = Faboideae
tribus = Phaseoleae
genus = "Kennedia"
species = "K. prostrata"
binomial = "Kennedia prostrata"
binomial_authority = R.Br.
synonyms =

"Kennedia prostrata", commonly known as Running Postman or Scarlet Runner, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, endemic to Australia.

It is a prostrate or twining shrub which can spread to a width of 1.5 metres and has light green leaves that comprise 3 rounded leaflets with undulating edges Scarlet pea flowers flowers are produced singly or in pairs between April and November in its native range.FloraBase|name="Kennedia prostrata" |id=4044 ] These are followed by cylindrical pods that are 3 to 5 cm in length.

The species was first formally described by Robert Brown in 1812 in "Hortus Kewensis".cite web |url=http://www.anbg.gov.au/cgi-bin/apni?TAXON_NAME=KENNEDIA+PROSTRATA|title="Kennedia prostrata" |accessdate=2008-09-24|work= Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database|publisher = Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra]

It is native to the states of Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.cite web |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Kennedia~prostrata |title="Kennedia prostrata" |accessdate=2008-09-24 |author=|work= PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia]

Cultivation

The species is naturally adapted to sandy or lighter soils and prefers a sunny position. It is resistant to drought and has some frost tolerance. Plants can be propagated by scarified seed.cite book|author=Bodkin, Frances|year=1991|place=Australia|title=Encyclopaedia Botanica|publisher=Cornstalk Publishing|id=ISBN 0207150648]

References