Gompholobium
(from gomphos, a club, and lobos, a pod; in reference to the shape of the pod being like that of a club or wedge). ORD. Leguminosae. A genus containing twenty-four species of elegant greenhouse shrubs, all from Australia. Flowers yellow or red, terminal or rarely in the upper axils, solitary or two or three together, or in short racemes. Leaves simple, or more frequently compound; leaflets usually narrow, digitate or pinnate, with the terminal leaflet sessile between the last pair; stipules small, lanceolate or subulate, or non. Gompholobiums should be grown in a compost of peat and loam, chopped into small pieces, but not sifted, with the addition of plenty of silver sand and small pieces of charcoal. Careful drainage and watering are of great importance in their culture. Propagated by cuttings, made of young shoots, about 2in. in length, during spring, inserted in sandy peat, under a bell glass, in shade.
G. aciculare (needle-shaped). A synonym of G. tomentosum. G. barbigerum (bearded). A synonym of G. latifolium. G. capitatum (headed). fl. yellow, very shortly pedicellate, in dense, terminal, leafy corymbs, almost contracted into heads; calyx usually very hirsute. July. l. the same as in G. tomentosum, or the leaflets rather more slender. h. 2ft. 1830. This species is closely allied to G. tomentosum, of which, perhaps, it is but a variety. (B. R. 1563.) G. grandiflorum (large-flowered).* fl. large, solitary, or two or three together, shortly pedicellate, terminal, or on very short, axillary, leafy branches; standard broad, 3/4in. long. June. l., leaflets three, on a very short common petiole, narrow-linear, with a short, almost pungent point; margins revolute; veins inconspicuous. h. 2ft. 1803. (S. E. B. 5.) G. grandiflorum (large-flowered). A synonym of G. polymorphum. G. heterophyllum (variable-leaved). A synonym of G. Knightianum. G. Knightianum (Knight's).* fl. pink or purple, in a short corymbose raceme, on a rather long peduncle above the last leaves; standard broad, rather longer than the calyx; wings and keel rather shorter. August. l. mostly pinnate, with five to eleven lanceolate or linear leaflets, obtuse or mucronate, flat, or with slightly recurved margins; stipules subulate. Stems slender, rigid, ascending or erect. h. 1ft. or more. 1830. SYN. G. heterophyllum. (B. R. 1468.) G. lanatum (woolly). A synonym of G. tomentosum.
G. latifolium (broad-leaved). fl. golden-yellow, about 1in. long; vexillum large. April to June. l. ternate; leaflets linear, acutish. Stem erect; branches angular. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1824. SYN. G. barbigerum. (B. M. 4171.) G. marginatum (edged). fl. yellow, small, few, in irregular, loose, terminal racemes, or rarely solitary; standard about four lines long, deeply notched; lower petals scarcely exceeding the calyx. May. l., leaflets three, or rarely solitary, on a common petiole, from obovate to linear-oblong, with a short sharp point, coriaceous, bordered by a thickened nerve-like edge; stipules lanceolate-subulate or setaceous. Stems slender, rigid, decumbent or ascending, under 1ft. long. 1820. (B. R. 1490.) G. minus (smaller). fl. yellow. May. l. glabrous; leaflets three, on a very short common petiole. A much-branched shrub. SYN. Burtonia minor. G. pedunculare (long flower-stalked). A synonym of G. polymorphum. G. polymorphum (many-formed).* fl., vexillum scarlet on the inside, with a yellow base, and purple on the outside, large; pedicels much longer than the leaves. March to August. l., leaflets three to five, linear, or oblong-cuneated, mucronate, with recurved margins. Stems procumbent, weak, twining. (B. M. 1533.) SYNS. G. grandiflorum, G. pedunculare, G. tenue (B. R. 1615), and G. venulosum (B. R. 1574). G. versicolor is a luxuriant form, having large flowers and long leaflets (B. M. 4179; B. R. 1839, 43; P. M. B. xii. 219.) G. tenue (slender). A synonym of G. polymorphum.
G. tomentosum (shaggy). fl. yellow, terminal, few, in compact, leafy corymbs, or rarely solitary; standard about six lines long; keel rather shorter, broad, somewhat curved, the edges minutely ciliate. May l., leaflets usually five or seven, but varying from three to eleven, narrow-linear; margins revolute, so as to be almost terete, mucronate, more or less pubescent. h. 1ft. to 3ft. 1830. SYNS G. aciculare, G. lanatum (B. R. 1474).
G. venulosum (veiny-leaved). A synonym of G. polymorphum. G. venustum (charming).* fl. purple; corymb stalked, many-flowered. April to July. l. impari-pinnate, with many pairs of leaflets; leaflets awl-shaped, veiny, with revolute margins, glabrous. h. 1ft. to 3ft. 1803. (B. M. 4258.)