Pultenaea stipularis (Sticky Bush-pea)

Pultenaea stipularis, commonly known as Sticky Bush-pea, is an erect Australian native shrub prized for its fine foliage, structural form, and dense clusters of vibrant pea-shaped flowers. Naturally found in heathlands and dry sclerophyll woodlands, it is a hardy and adaptable plant, making it ideal for native gardens, borders, and wildlife-friendly landscapes.

This species features alternate, linear to narrow-elliptic leaves 15–25 mm long and 1–2 mm wide, flat or slightly concave, with an aristate tip and margins flat to slightly incurved. Stipules are prominent, up to 10 mm long, adding distinctive texture to the foliage. Stems are glabrous, creating a neat, tidy appearance.

Inflorescences are dense and apparently terminal, with imbricate bracts composed of leafless pairs of enlarged stipules or occasionally vestigial leaves. Flowers are pea-shaped, 10–15 mm long, with bracteoles 6–7 mm long, linear-ovate, hairy near the base, and attached near the center of the calyx tube. The calyx is 8–9 mm long with acuminate lobes, and the ovary is hairy only at the apex. Following flowering, pods develop that are turgid, 6–7 mm long, and release seeds that attract native birds and insects.