Goodenia ovata.
In Family Goodeniaceae the Hop Goodenia occurs over S.E. Queensland.
These plants can grow as a ground cover 30 cm high by 2 m wide or a shrub around 1 (2) m high.
Stems may be ridged and secretions from the small glands make the plants sticky.
The simple leaves, on petioles up to 3 cm long are alternately arranged.
The thin ovate to elliptic blades are up to 8 cm long and 4 cm wide.
The tip is pointed, the base wedge-shaped or rounded and the edge has small teeth.
There are tiny glands over the surface.
Axillary and terminal inflorescences may be a solitary flower or a branched or unbranched cluster of up to 5 flowers.
Each cluster is on a stalk or peduncle up to 4 cm long with a bract at the base.
Flowers are on a pedicel under 1 cm long with narrow green bracteoles.
The calyx has 5 narrow pointed sepals up to 1 cm long that are sticky from glandular secretions.
The bright yellow corolla, almost 2 cm long has 2 petals in the upper lip and 3 in the lower.
The petals have a roundish lobe with a wide thick midrib and wings up to 2.5 mm wide.
The midrib on the outer surface has some white hairs and glands.
There are hairs on the inner surface of the lobes and at the narrow base.
The inner surface also has 2 rows of small finger-like projections or calli along the narrow base.
The 5 stamens insert at the base of the corolla tube where they alternate with the petals.
The erect anthers lie close to each other forming an anther tube.
Anthers open inwards through longitudinal slits releasing their pollen into the anther tube.
This occurs early so when the style grows up through the tube it collects the pollen in its indusium.
The inferior ovary, of 2 carpels has 2 locules with axile placentation of the numerous ovules.
There is a single style around 1 cm long with long white hairs on the angled section just below the stigma.
The linear green stigma, around 2.5 mm wide and 1 mm high lies horizontally in the flower.
Attached to the style immediately below the stigma is a cup-like indusium or pollen cup.
It is around 3 mm wide and 1 to 2 mm long with short stiff white hairs on the edge and longer ones on its back or lower surface.
Collecting pollen as the style grows through the anther tube the cup presents it to pollinators.
The fruit are cylindrical capsules around 1 cm long with pale brown seeds in the 2 chambers.
J.F.
