Parochetus communis D.Don
shamrock pea
Stems almost glabrous to sparsely pilose, rooting at nodes. Lvs sparsely to moderately hairy on petiole and undersurface of leaflets, almost glabrous above; petioles c. 30-140 mm long; leaflets broadly obovate-cuneate, obtuse to emarginate, entire, often with light and dark markings, c. 10-25 mm long; petiolules ± equal, < 1 mm long; stipules ovate, acute, entire. Peduncles usually almost glabrous, ± = or > petioles. Infl. 1-2-flowered. Calyx ± glabrous or sparsely hairy, somewhat gibbous at base; calyx teeth unequal; lower teeth longer. Corolla usually cobalt-blue, rarely white or blue and white, c. 18-22 mm long. Pod glabrous, 18-25 mm long; seeds mottled, c. 2 mm long.
N.: vicinity of Auckland City, Tokomaru Bay (East Cape), Wellington City and Hutt Valley; S.: Westport, locally common in Westland, Dunedin; St.: Halfmoon Bay.
E. Africa, Asia 1944
Moist, often shady situations in waste places, on banks and at forest margins.
FL Dec-Sep.
The shamrock pea is vegetatively similar to some Trifolium spp., but the fls and pods are quite distinctive.
