Flora of New Zealand Series

Donia punicea G. Don Gen. Syst. Gard. & Bot. 2, 1832, 467 non Donia R. Br. 1813 (Compositae).

Softly woody shrub with spreading branches, up to 2 m. tall; branchlets subherbaceous, silky-pubescent to glabrate. Lvs imparipinnate, up to 15 cm. long, with up to 15 pairs of lflts; lfls subsessile, 1·5-2.5 cm. long, linear-oblong, retuse to obtuse at apex. Racemes pend., up to 15-fld; fls scarlet, up to 8 cm. long. Calyx campanulate, teeth subulate, erect, 1·5-3 mm. long; standard ovate-acuminate, c. 6 cm. long; wings c. 3 cm. long, lanceolate-falcate, acute; keel c. 6 cm. or more long, falcate-acuminate. Pods up to 8 cm. long, turgid; seeds ∞.

DIST.: N. Islets from Bay of Islands to Tolaga Bay, and at various places on adjacent mainland; also near Thames. Inland at Lake Waikaremoana and vicinity. Now extinct in many localities. Widely cultivated in gardens, also formerly cultivated by Maori.