Citation: R. Br. in W.T. Aiton, Hort. Kew. edn 2, 4:327 (1812).

Synonymy: -Colutaea frutescens L., Sp. Pl. 723 (1753).

Common name: Bladder senna, cancer bush, duck plant.

Description:
An upright branching hoary shrub to 1 m high, with appressed basifixed hairs on the branches and the lower surface of the leaflets; rhachis of leaves 1-8 cm long, stoutish in the lower part and gradually attenuated toward the apex, densely strigose; stipules lanceolate, 2-3 mm long, scarious; leaflets 7-25, elliptic-oblong, cuneate, 3-13 x 2-5 mm, the terminal being the largest, glabrous above except the margins.

Flowers 25-30 mm long, showy, on hirsute pedicels c. 5 mm long, 2-8 in loose racemes 5-40 mm long; bract ovate-acute to triangular, 1-2 mm long, sericeous, bracteoles smaller, ovate-lanceolate; calyx 8-9 mm long, with appressed hairs; teeth triangular, c. 2 mm long, equal; petals scarlet or red; standard ovate, lamina c. 20 x c. 14 mm, on a c. 3 mm claw, with oblique veins; wings elliptic, auriculate, hardly or not protruding from the calyx; keel longest, oblong-acute, colourless towards the claw.

Pod ovoid-oblong, inflated, hyaline, 4-5 x c. 2 cm, drooping, many- to c. 15-seeded; seed cordate, 2.5-3 mm, slightly compressed, olive-green, slightly pitted.

Image source: fig. 326 in J.P. Jessop and H.R. Toelken Ed. 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Rice & Compton (1951) Wild Flowers of the Cape of Good Hope, pl. 38.

Distribution:    W.Aust.; N.S.W.;.   Native to South Africa. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Aug. — Jan.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available