Parrot Pea

Alice Springs Desert Park

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Parrot Pea (Crotalaria cunninghamii) at the Alice Springs Desert Park. Also known as the Green Bird Flower, among other names, the Parrot Pea Arrernte name is Alywalywere (pronouced: ail-WEL-yoor-a).

The flowers of the Parrot Pea has a beaked keel that is longer than the wing petals. It is notable for the large greenish yellow pea flowers and large pods. When the seed pods are mature, they make a rattling sound when shaken. The plant has a number of uses by the aboriginal people, including being used as bush medicine.

In the following photo of the Parrot Pea, you can see a bush banana vine winding its way around the stem of the flower.

Parrot Pea (Crotalaria cunninghamii) — Parrot Pea (*Crotalaria cunninghamii*)

To see more images, check out our Green Bird Flower.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Crotalaria
Species: C. cunninghamii
Binomial name: Crotalaria cunninghamii