About Platylobium formosum Sm.
Platylobium formosum Sm. is an erect or straggling shrub with wiry stems, that usually grows to between 1 and 2 metres tall. Its leaves are arranged oppositely, with very short, almost unnoticeable petioles. The leaf surface has a prominent networked vein reticulation; leaves are dark green on the upper surface and lighter on the underside. Leaves range in size from 2 to 5 cm long, and 1 to 2.3 cm wide. Flowers bloom in spring, falling between September and November in the species' native range. Flowers are orange-yellow with a red centre that has red markings; red markings also appear on the tip of the keel and on the back of the standard. Each flower is held on a long hairy stalk that grows from the leaf axil. After flowering, the plant produces flat seed pods that are either glabrous or hairy, and measure approximately 2 to 4 cm in length. This species occurs naturally in New South Wales and Queensland, where it is common and widespread across habitats from heathland to rainforest margins.
