Stats

Lifespan: 15-20 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Coastal fynbos
Range: Southern Africa
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

Sweet Pea Shrub is a fast-growing evergreen shrub found along the southern and south-eastern coasts of South Africa, from near Clanwilliam to KwaZulu-Natal. It is a typical fynbos component and may be found on dunes, rocky places, along forest margins, beside streams, and in open grassland.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Polygalaceae
Genus: Polygala
Species: Polygala myrtifolia