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COCKIES TONGUE FACTS |
Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License
Common Name
Cockies Tongue
Other Names
Cocky's tongues
Description
Cockies Tongue is a shrub that grows to about two metres tall (sometimes as much as four metres). The blue green leaves are elliptical and grow to about 4cm long and 2.5cm wide. It produces bright orange red pea flowers in late autumn, winter and spring, although flowering period varies according to geographic area. Some plants have yellowish flowers. The fruit is a flat pod that grows to about 5 cm long and 1cm wide.
Habitat
Cockies Tongue is found on sandy, gravelly and limestone soils in woodland, heathland and road sides
Distribution
Templetonia retusa is found in southern South Australia, and round the southern and west coast of Western Australia to about Shark Bay
Growth Characteristics
Height (m): 1 - 3
Spread (m): 1.5 - 3
Soil Texture: sand, loam, clay, limestone
Soil pH: acid soils, neutral soils, alkaliine soils
Frost Sensitivity: moderately sensitive
Minimum Rainfall (mm): 300
Flower Colour: red
Flower Season: winter, spring
(source: SA State Flora Catalog)
Wildlife Interest
attracts nectar eating birds, also butterflies
Classification
| Class: | Magnoliopsida | | Order: | Fabales | | Family: | Fabaceae | | Genus: | Templetonia | | Species: | retusa | | Common Name: | Cockies Tongue |
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