Flora of New Zealand Series

Type locality: "terraces of the Porter River, Waimakariri". Type: W, 224/9, Kirk Herb. 814, J. D. Enys, T. Kirk.

Dwarf shrub, lfless when adult, up to c. 5 cm. tall, forming dense patches up to ± 10 cm. diam. Taproot stout, up to ± 15 mm. diam. Branches very close-set, erect; branchlets up to 25 × 1-2 mm., glab., much-compressed, finely striate. Lvs on juveniles very small, suborbicular, emarginate. Infl. of 1-2, 1-3-fld racemes on peduncles ± 5 mm. long. Fls 5 × 4 mm.; calyx 1 mm. diam., with short blunt to acute teeth; standard rather narrow, purplish with darker veins; keel greenish to purplish, auricles rounded; wings ± = keel. Ovary glab. Pods 1-(5), us. pale, on short pedicels, 6-8 × 4-5 mm., suborbicular to broad-oblong, compressed till dehiscing; replum sts incomplete; beak short, curved. Seeds 1-(3), hardly 3 mm. diam., reniform, dull black.

DIST.: S. Lowland to lower montane open places, dry river-terraces and grassland, east of divide, from about lat. 43° to 46°.