Glycine tabacina

Family Fabaceae

Glycine Pea

Scrambler with main taproot 4 mm diameter 20 cm deep and a few lateral roots, some plants form roots along stems. Longevity 5 - 25 years.

Flowers: Purple – mauve pea flowers, November – June.

Fruit: Pod 1.5–3 cm long with 3 – 6 seeds, matures October–June.

Seed: Black cylidrical seed with white food body, 2.5 x 1.9 mm, locally dispersed, possibly ant assisted.  Hard coated seed provides physical dormancy. Germinates readily once scarified by nicking.

Gallery images: seed, seedling, rootstock, resprout

Ecology

• Woodland habitat.
• Common in woodland at the Australian Botanic Garden.
• Abundant seedlings noted in burnt, few in unburnt area, following rain.
• Resprouts from base after fire.
• Legumes reported to have nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium nodules on roots.