Gompholobium, commonly known as glory peas or wedge-peas, is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family Fabaceae, order Fabales. The genus is endemic to Australia, with species recorded across all states of the continent. It was first formally described in 1798 by the botanist James Edward Smith, with the description published in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London; in 2008, Gompholobium grandiflorum was designated the lectotype of the genus.
Most species produce compound leaves composed of three separate leaflets, though some bear simple leaves and others have pinnate leaves. The leaflets are arranged alternately along the stems and are typically narrow with smooth margins. The flowers are usually borne in groups at the ends of branches, occasionally singly or in pairs. Each flower has a distinctive sepal arrangement: a short tube with five lobes that are longer than the tube itself. The large "standard" petal at the back of the flower is circular to kidney-shaped and noticeably larger than the other petals. All species share ten stamens that are entirely free from one another. The fruit is an oblong to nearly spherical legume containing two to many ovules.
The genus name derives from the Ancient Greek gomphos, meaning "bolt", "peg", or "nail", and lobos, meaning "capsule" or "pod", a reference to the distinctive inflated shape of the seed pods. Plants in the genus are known to be toxic to livestock; their fatal effects on sheep, goats, and other animals introduced to the Swan River Colony were documented by botanist James Drummond in Hooker's London Journal of Botany in 1842. GBIF recognises approximately 22 accepted species within the genus.
Etymology
The genus name Gompholobium is derived from the Ancient Greek words gomphos, meaning "bolt", "peg", or "nail", and lobos, meaning "capsule" or "pod". The name refers to the inflated shape of the seed pods characteristic of species in the genus.
Distribution
Gompholobium is endemic to Australia and has been recorded in all states of the continent. No species are native outside Australia.
Ecology
Plants of the genus Gompholobium are known to be toxic to livestock. Their effects were first documented when sheep, goats, and other animals introduced by pastoralists at the Swan River Colony (present-day Western Australia) died after grazing on these plants. The toxicity was reported by botanist James Drummond in Hooker's London Journal of Botany in 1842.
Taxonomy Notes
The genus was first formally described in 1798 by James Edward Smith, with the description published in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. In 2008, Gompholobium grandiflorum was designated the lectotype. GBIF places the genus in family Fabaceae, order Fabales, with approximately 22 accepted species recognised by the Australian Plant Census.
