Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: Isolated Hill, valley of Ure River. Type: BD 45808A (G. S. 103) G. Simpson.

Low-growing shrub with branches up to 6 dm. long; branchlets ascending, rigid, grooved, ± pilose, rounded at apex, much compressed, up to 12 cm. × 4-5-(8) mm. Lvs on young plants unifoliolate, sessile or nearly so, 4 × 2 mm., obcordate, pilose. Infl. of lax 3-7-fld racemes, peduncles and pedicels pubescent. Fls ± 10 × 5-7 mm. Calyx c. 5 × 3 mm., densely clad in ± appressed hairs; teeth 2-3 mm. long, narrow-triangular, acute; standard c. 10 × 7 mm., whitish, purple-veined, with basal purple blotch; wings c. 6 × 2-3 mm., purple-veined, auricles narrow, pointed; keel ± 8 mm. long, purplish, with darker veins, auricles rounded. Ovary glab. Pods (12)-15-20 × 4-7 mm., obliquely oblong, subturgid, dark brown to black; beak oblique, stout, subulate, up to 3 mm. long. Seeds 4-8, 2-3 mm. long, reniform, pale green to yellowish, sparsely black-spotted, becoming brownish.

DIST.: S. Limestone rocks in drainage area of Clarence River.

Cockayne (T.N.Z.I. 50, 1918, 167) gives a full description, without naming, of Aston's specimens from "shaded faces of limestone cliffs in various gorges on the south-eastern side of the Inland Kaikoura Mountains", and discusses the relation of the sp. to C. monroi. Both spp. are often hard-grazed by sheep, and then difficult to differentiate.