Psoralea pinnata

Psoralea pinnata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Genus:	Psoralea
Species:	P. pinnata
Binomial name
Psoralea pinnata L.

Psoralea pinnata is an erect evergreen shrub or small tree that grows to a height of 1.5 metres (5 ft)^[1] to 4 metres (13 ft) tall.

Description

This plant has fine deep green linear leaves^[2] that are deeply divided with a length of about 40 millimetres (2 in).^[3] The linear leaf blades occur in crowded alterante spirals are 0.8 millimetres (0 in) to 2 millimetres (0 in) in width and taper from the base.^[4] This plant blooms with white, lilac or blue pea shaped sweet smelling flowers between October and December.^[5] in large clusters toward the end of the branches. Flowering is followed by the production of small pods, each of these contain a single dark brown seed.^[6]

Distribution

P. pinnata is a native of South Africa but is also an established alien species in other countries particularly Southern Australia^[7] and New Zealand.^[8]

Common Names

P. pinnata has many common names. In Africa the plant is commonly known as the Fountain Bush or fonteinbos, it also is called penwortel, bloukeur and is known as umhlonishwa by the Zulu. In Australia, where P. pinnata is a weed, it is known as Taylorina and in Western Australia it is also known as the Blue Broom or the Albany Broom.^[9] In other parts of the world it is also called the African scurf pea, Taylorina, Blue Psoralea and the Dally Pine.^[10]

References

1. ^ "Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet - Psoralea pinnata". 2007. http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/texhtml.cgi?form=speciesfacts&genus=Psoralea&species=pinnata. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
2. ^ "Western Weeds - Fabaceae". 2007. http://members.iinet.net.au/~weeds/western_weeds/fabaceae_3.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
3. ^ "Fernkloof Nature Reserve - Fabaceae - Psoralea pinnata". 2007. http://fernkloof.com/species2.mv?Psoralea%20pinnata. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
4. ^ "Florabase - Psoralea pinnata". 2007. http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/4155. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
5. ^ "PlantzAfrica - Psoralea pinnata". 2007. http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantnop/psoraleapin.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
6. ^ "Weeds Australia - Weed identification". 2007. http://www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bin/weedident.cgi?tpl=plant.tpl. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
7. ^ "Florabase - Psoralea pinnata". 2007. http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/4155. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
8. ^ "Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture - Common Weeds of New Zealand". 2007. http://www.rnzih.org.nz/pages/weednameslist.htm. Retrieved 2010-10-12. 
9. ^ "Florabase - Psoralea pinnata". 2007. http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/4155. Retrieved 2007-10-18. 
10. ^ "HEAR - Global Compendium of Weeds - Psoralea pinnata". 2007. http://www.hear.org/gcw/html/autogend/species/15745.HTM. Retrieved 2007-10-18.