Psoralea pinnata
Encyclopedia
Psoralea pinnata is an erect evergreen
shrub
or small tree
that grows to a height of 1.5 metres (5 ft) to 4 metres (13 ft) tall.
that are deeply divided with a length of about 40 millimetres (2 in). The linear leaf blades occur in crowded alterante spirals are 0.8 millimetre (0.031496062992126 in) to 2 millimetre (0.078740157480315 in) in width and taper from the base.
This plant bloom
s with white
, lilac
or blue
pea shaped sweet smelling flower
s between October and December. 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
.
but is also an established alien species in other countries particularly Southern Australia
and New Zealand.
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. In other parts of the world it is also called the African scurf pea, Taylorina, Blue Psoralea and the Dally Pine.
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
that grows to a height of 1.5 metres (5 ft) to 4 metres (13 ft) tall.
Description
This plant has fine deep green linear leavesLeaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
that are deeply divided with a length of about 40 millimetres (2 in). The linear leaf blades occur in crowded alterante spirals are 0.8 millimetre (0.031496062992126 in) to 2 millimetre (0.078740157480315 in) in width and taper from the base.
This plant bloom
Bloom
Bloom or blooming may refer to:-Science and nature:* Bloom, one or more flowers on a flowering plant* Algal bloom, a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in an aquatic system...
s with white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
, lilac
Lilac
Syringa is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering woody plants in the olive family , native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and widely and commonly cultivated in temperate areas elsewhere....
or blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
pea shaped sweet smelling flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s between October and December. 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
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
.
Distribution
P. pinnata is a native of South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
but is also an established alien species in other countries particularly Southern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand.
Common Names
P. pinnata has many common names. In AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
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
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where P. pinnata is a weed, it is known as Taylorina and in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
it is also known as the Blue Broom or the Albany Broom. In other parts of the world it is also called the African scurf pea, Taylorina, Blue Psoralea and the Dally Pine.