Platylobium is a genus of flowering shrubs in the legume family Fabaceae, placed within the tribe Mirbelieae (Mirbelioids) in the order Fabales. The genus was first described by the botanist James Edward Smith and comprises a small number of species, all native to eastern and south-eastern Australia.
Members of the genus are commonly known as "flat peas," a name that refers to the distinctively winged, flat pods — the Greek root platys (broad, flat) combined with lobos (pod or lobe) reflects this character directly. A related common name, "eggs and bacon," alludes to the yellow, orange, and pink-red colouring of the pea-shaped flowers, which are borne on rambling branches; plants range from low, spreading shrubs to more prostrate forms. Dark brown papery scales near the bract support the flower's banner petal, completing the resemblance to a cooked breakfast that gives rise to the colloquial name.
Platylobium is most closely allied to Bossiaea, another Australian genus within the Mirbelioids. The key distinguishing character is the presence of a distinct wing on the pod in Platylobium; examination of the ovate leaves and the brown papery parts near the bract also aids identification. Species occur across a range of habitats in the coastal and near-coastal regions of southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania.
Well-known members include Platylobium formosum (Handsome flat-pea), Platylobium obtusangulum (Common flat-pea), Platylobium alternifolium (Victorian flat-pea), and Platylobium reflexum.
Etymology
The genus name Platylobium derives from the Greek platys (broad or flat) and lobos (pod or lobe), referring to the genus's characteristic distinctively winged, flat seed pods. The common names "flat pea" and "eggs and bacon" describe the flattened pod and the yellow-orange-pink flower colouring respectively.
Distribution
Platylobium is native to eastern and south-eastern Australia, with species occurring in coastal and near-coastal habitats across southern and eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania. Species range from coastal shrublands and heathlands into inland areas within these coastal regions.
Ecology
Species of Platylobium grow in a range of habitats in the coastal regions of southern and eastern Australia, often in heathland, dry sclerophyll forest, and scrub. Like other legumes in the Mirbelioids, they are adapted to nutrient-poor soils typical of the Australian coastal landscape.
