Australia So Much to See
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Sources used for identification of wildflowers including Aboriginal names shown on these pages, and regions where they occur, are
listed under Credits
These pages will feature some of the wildflowers we have photographed in Western Australia,
and where possible, identified. If you are able to help identify further flowers, or correct any I may have wrong, please contact
us.
Information given for each species will give botanical name, known common names, describe the flower, give time of year it
flowered, and where it was photographed, and the areas it occurs in. Names have been matched to Florabase which has also
been used to show distribution.
See some of these wildflowers in larger sized photos on our Flickr pages.
Gastrolobium calycinum York Road Poison (member of the large Pea family Fabaceae)
This and many plants of the Gastrolobium family are
poisonous if eaten by livestock. Orange and yellow pea flowers on a small shrub with hard pointed leaves.
Spring
Near Calingiri
in the wheatbelt and found through much of the Wheatbelt, and into parts of the South West and Great Southern regions
Gastrolobium praemorsum, (formerly Brachysema praemorsum prior to 2002), sold in garden nurseries as Brown Butterfly or
Bronze Butterfly (member of the large Pea family Fabaceae)
A red beak shaped flower from a sprawling ground level shrub, with shield
shaped leaves
October
Mayanup area (Boyup Brook Shire) and occurs through the Great Southern, parts of the South West and Perth
regions
Gastrolobium parviflorum, Box Poison, Marlock Poison.
A number of different Gastrolobium species are commonly called Box Poison. Orange, red and yellow pea flowers on a small shrub with strip shaped leaves.
Spring
Gnowangerup and also
seen from Esperance to Jerramungup and to Gnowangerup. Occurs throughout the Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions, and extends
into the South West, Mid West and Goldfields regions.
This and around 34 other species of the Gastrolobium genus are poisonous if eaten by livestock, resulting in rapid death.
There are over 100 species of Gastrolobium and all but two occur in Western Australia.
Some of the Poisons were known as
Oxylobium, but these have all been amalgamated into the Gastrolobium genus.
19/12/2024
Gastrolobium spinosum, Prickly Poison
A yellow and red pea flower, with fine red stripes on the rear of the banner (sail). Slight
indention at top of banner. Shrub has large, stiff and very spiny edged leaves. Photos here show a variety of leaf types.
November
Photos
above at Dragon Rocks Nature Reserve, Newdegate, and photo at right from Kulin, Wheatbelt region, Western Australia. Occurs
from Geraldton to Esperance, throughout the Mid West, South West, Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions and into the Goldfields
Gastrolobium spinosum is one of the poison plants that has high levels of Fluoroacetate, synthesized as Sodium Monofluoroacetate
known as 1080 poison. Native animals in the south west have a tolerance to 1080 whereas feral vermin such as cats and foxes
do not, so 1080 bating is used for pest control.
Gastrolobium bilobum, Heart Leaf Poison, Heart-leaved Posion (member of the large Pea family Fabaceae)
This is the most
toxic of all the poisonous Gastrolobiums, and many plants of the Gastrolobium family are poisonous if eaten by livestock. Orange
yellow pea flowers with red markings, arranged in a circular cluster at the end of each stem. A large shrub with four leaves
per leaf joint. These leaves are wedge shaped, with an indent at the top of each leave, giving the name Heart Leaf. Above
right shows seed pods forming post flowering.
Spring
Bridgetown, and found through the Perth and South West regions, lower Great Southern
region, and around Esperance
