Flora of New Zealand Series

Type: BD 45521A (G. S. 69), G. Simpson, J. S. Thomson, W. McKay, Feb. 1936.

Shrub up to c. 5 dm. tall, main branches procumbent, secondary ascending; branchlets ascending, much-compressed, ± 5-10 cm. × (1)-2-(3) mm., glab. Lvs 3-5-foliolate; lflts obcordate, 3-5 mm. long. Infl. of 1-3 racemes per notch, subumbellately 3-5-fld on ± pilose peduncles 3-5 mm. long. Fls ± 5 × 4 mm. on pilose pedicels c. 1 mm. long. Calyx glab., c. 2 mm. long; teeth triangular, blunt. "Standard dark purple at the centre and upper margin, heavily striped on the outer lobes; keel whitish, dull purple at the tip, auricles rounded; wings whitish, faintly striped at the tip, auricles pointed." Ovary glab. Pods obliquely elliptic-oblong, ± 10-12-(15) × 3-4 mm., slightly compressed, very dark brown to black; beak straight, stiff, c. 2 mm. long. Seeds 2-4, dark red, heavily black-mottled.

DIST.: S. Sandy soil over limestone rocks at Punakaiki, Westland.

So far known only from the type locality-the status uncertain. Simpson remarks: "In its habitat the branches are decumbent, with the branchlets erect or semi-erect to about 50 cm. high. In cultivation the procumbent habit is less pronounced, and the author's plant is a straggling much-branched shrub to 1 m. high."

B. Seeds with yellow to green ground-colour, ± obscured by black spots or mottling