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Heenan, P.B.; de Lange, P.J.; Wilton, A.D. 2001: Sophora (Fabaceae) in New Zealand: taxonomy, distribution, and biogeography. New Zealand Journal of Botany 39(1): 17–53.

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Heenan, P.B.; de Lange, P.J.; Wilton, A.D. 2001: Sophora (Fabaceae) in New Zealand: taxonomy, distribution, and biogeography. New Zealand Journal of Botany 39(1): 17–53.
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Moderate to large tree up to 20 m high, with 1 main trunk or several prominent main branches; main branches spreading to upright. Divaricating and/or strongly flexuose juvenile branchlets usually absent, or very weakly flexuose; branchlets densely pubescent, becoming glabrous with age; hairs appressed, straight. Seedlings and juveniles moderately to densely leafy, leaves with increasing numbers of leaflets. Leaflets on juveniles 4.4-9.0 × 4.4-7.5 mm, ± orbicular to very broadly obovate, crowded, usually overlapping. Leaves on adults up to 15 cm long, imparipinnate, petioles and rachis channelled above, leaflets 25-55. Leaflets on adults 6.0-16.0 × 4.0-8.0 mm, broadly elliptic, broadly obovate, broadly ovate, obovate to ± orbicular, distal leaflets usually smaller than proximal leaflets, usually crowded and overlapping, adaxial surface light green to green, dull, abaxial surface lighter than adaxial surface and slightly concave; apices retuse to obtuse; bases obtuse; petiolules 0.3-0.5 mm long, distinct; petioles, rachides, petiolules, and leaflets usually pubescent, hairs up to 0.4 mm long, appressed, straight. Inflorescences racemose, with up to 11 flowers; peduncle and rachis 15-45 mm long; pedicels up to 25 mm long, each subtended by a bract; bract 2- 3 mm long; peduncles, rachides, pedicels, bracts, and calyces moderately to densely pubescent, hairs brown to yellow-brown, appressed. Calyx 8-10 × 10-13 mm, cupulate, rim shallowly lobed, with deeper notch adjacent to standard. Corolla yellow; keel petal blade 29-43 × 9-11 mm, wing petal blade 25-42 × 9-11 mm, standard petal blade 25-34 × 20-25 mm; petals with distinct claws, 4-6 mm long. Stipe 3.5-7.0 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Ovary 17-27 mm long, densely pubescent; hairs up to 0.5 mm long, off-white to light brown, appressed, straight. Style 10-13 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Filaments 27-35 mm long. Anthers 2.0-3.5 × 0.8-1.5 mm. Fruit 50- 180 mm long, 4-winged, brown, sparsely to moderately pubescent, with up to 12 seeds. Seeds 5.5-8.0 × 4.0-5.0 mm, oblong, elliptic to ± orbicular, yellow to light yellow-brown. FL Aug-Nov; FT Oct-Sep.
Small to moderate tree, up to 10 m high, with 1 main trunk or several prominent main branches; main branches upright to spreading. Divaricating and/or strongly flexuose juvenile branchlets absent; branchlets densely pubescent, becoming glabrous with age; hairs appressed, decumbent, or spreading, predominantly straight or sometimes twisted. Seedlings and juveniles moderately to densely leafy, leaves with increasing numbers of leaflets. Leaflets on juveniles 4.0-6.6 × 2.0-3.0 mm, elliptic, elliptic-oblong to narrowly obovate, ± glabrous, to sparsely, and then moderately pubescent, crowded, often overlapping. Leaves on adults up to 14 cm long, imparipinnate, petioles and rachides channelled above, leaflets 61-91. Leaflets on adults 1.8-7.5 × 1.2-4.5 mm, elliptic to elliptic-oblong, occasionally narrowly obovate, sometimes ± orbicular, distal leaflets usually smaller than proximal leaflets, often crowded and sometimes overlapping, adaxial surface dull green, green, to slightly grey-green, abaxial surface lighter than adaxial surface and slightly concave; apices retuse, obtuse to subacute; bases obtuse; sessile, or occasionally with petiolules up to 0.3 mm long on leaflets > 6 mm long; margin often thickened on abaxial surface; petioles, rachides, petiolules, and leaflets usually ± pubescent or villous, hairs 0.2-0.6 mm long, appressed, decumbent, or spreading, predominantly straight or sometimes twisted. Inflorescences racemose, with up to 7 flowers; peduncle and rachis 14-35 mm long; pedicels up to 20 mm long, each subtended by a bract; bracts 2-3 mm long; peduncles, rachides, pedicels, bracts, and calyces moderately to densely pubescent, hairs brown, appressed, decumbent, or spreading. Calyx 10-13 × 8-15 mm, cupulate, rim shallowly lobed, with deeper notch adjacent to standard. Corolla yellow; keel petal blade 31-40 × 9-14 mm, wing petal blade 25-40 × 7-12 mm, standard petal blade 23-35 × 11-18 mm; petals with distinct claws, 4.0- 6.5 mm long. Stipe 7-9 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Ovary 15-21 mm long, densely pubescent; hairs 0.4-0.7 mm long, off-white to light brown, appressed, decumbent, or spreading, straight or sometimes twisted. Style 6-12 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Stigma fringed with short hairs. Filaments 25-35 mm long. Anthers 1.8-2.0 × 0.9-1.0 mm. Fruit 60-190 mm long, 4-winged, brown, sparsely to moderately pubescent, with up to 11 seeds. Seeds 5.0-7.5 × 4.0-5.2 mm, oblong, yellow to yellow-brown. FL Oct-Nov; FT Jan-May.
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Small to large tree, often up to 25 m high, with 1 main trunk or several prominent main branches; main branches upright to spreading. Divaricating and/or strongly flexuose juvenile branchlets absent; branchlets densely pubescent, becoming glabrous with age; hairs appressed, spreading or patent, predominantly curly, curved, or twisted, also straight. Seedlings and juveniles moderately to densely leafy, leaves with increasing numbers of leaflets. Leaflets on juveniles 6.0-9.0 × 3.5-6.0 mm, ovate, ± orbicular to elliptic, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, becoming moderately pubescent, not crowded or overlapping. Leaves on adults up to 17 cm long, imparipinnate, petioles and rachides channelled above, leaflets 47-75. Leaflets on adults 2.0-8.0 × 2.0-5.0 mm, ovate to broadly elliptic, sometimes ± orbicular, distal leaflets usually smaller than proximal leaflets, sometimes crowded but not overlapping, adaxial surface grey to green-grey, abaxial surface lighter than adaxial surface and often concave; apices usually retuse to sometimes rounded; bases obtuse; petiolules up to 2 mm long, often only up to 0.5 mm long on leaflets < 3 mm long; petioles, rachides, petiolules, and leaflets usually pilose, sometimes villous, hairs 0.2-0.6 mm long, appressed, decumbent, spreading or patent, predominantly curly, curved, or twisted, but also straight. Inflorescences racemose, with up to 7 flowers; peduncle and rachis 20-40 mm long; pedicels up to 20 mm long, each subtended by a bract; bracts 1.5-3.5 mm long; peduncles, rachides, pedicels, bracts, and calyces moderately to densely pubescent; hairs brown appressed, decumbent, spreading, or patent. Calyx 9-13 × 10-16 mm, cupulate, rim shallowly lobed, with deeper notch adjacent to standard. Corolla yellow; keel petal blade 34-50 × 9- 14 mm, wing petal blade 25-48 × 6-9 mm, standard petal blade 20-35 × 11-21 mm; petals with distinct claws, 5.0-6.5 mm long. Stipe 6-1 1 mm long, ± glabrous. Ovary 17-23 mm long, densely pubescent; hairs 0.4-0.7 mm long, off-white to light brown, appressed, spreading or patent, straight, curved, or twisted. Style 12-14 mm long, exerted beyond anthers, glabrous or with a few twisted hairs. Stigma fringed with short hairs. Filaments 25-40 mm long; anthers 1.8-2.0 × 0.9-1.0 mm. Fruit 60-120 mm long, 4-winged, brown, sparsely to moderately pubescent, with up to 11 seeds. Seeds 5-8 × 4-5 mm, oblong, yellow to yellow-brown. FL Oct-Dec; FT Jan-May.
A S. microphylla ramificatione juvenili non divaricata, foliis cinereis et foliolis pluris late ellipticis vel orbiculatis pilis eofum appressis vel effusis arcuatis torsivisque, et in habitatione in arenosaxo, limosaxo et calcareo substrato differt.
Moderate to large tree up to 25 m high, with 1 main trunk or several prominent main branches; branches weeping, spreading and ascending. Divaricating and/or strongly flexuose juvenile branchlets present; branchlets often strongly interlaced, yellow-brown to orange-brown, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, becoming increasingly pubescent during the transition to adult branchlets; hairs appressed, straight. Seedlings and juveniles sparsely to moderately leafy, leaves with increasing numbers of leaflets. Leaflets on juveniles 3.0-5.8 × 2.3-4.9 mm, broadly obovate to orbicular, ± glabrous to sparsely pubescent, distant, not crowded or overlapping. Leaves on adults up to 15 cm long, imparipinnate, petioles and rachides channelled above, leaflets 30-50. Leaflets on adults 4.5-12.5 × 2.3-5.7 mm, elliptic, broadly elliptic, obovate to ovate, sometimes ± orbicular, distal and proximal leaflets usually similar in size, not crowded or overlapping, distant, adaxial and abaxial surfaces ± planar, adaxial surface light green to green, abaxial surface light green; apices retuse to rounded; bases cuneate to obtuse; petiolules 0.4-1.1 mm long, distinct; petioles, rachides, petiolules, and leaflets sparsely to moderately pubescent, hairs 0.2-1.0 mm long, appressed, straight. Inflorescences racemose, withup to 7 flowers; peduncle and rachis 10-25 mm long; pedicels up to 16 mm long, each subtended by a bract; bracts 1.8-3.4 mm long; peduncles, rachides, pedicels, bracts, and calyces moderately to densely pubescent, hairs brown to yellow-brown, usually appressed but sometimes weakly spreading. Calyx 5-11 × 7-10 mm, cupulate, rim shallowly lobed, with deeper notch adjacent to standard. Corolla yellow; keel petal blade 18-50 × 7-13 mm, wing petal blade 18-50 × 6-11 mm, standard petal blade 20-35 × 14-25 mm; petals with distinct claws, 4.0-8.0 mm long. Stipe 7-10 mm long, glabrous to moderately pubescent. Ovary 8-17 mm long, densely pubescent; hairs up to 0.5 mm long, off- white to light brown, appressed to spreading, straight. Style 10- 15 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Stigma glabrous or fringed with few short hairs. Filaments 20-35 mm long. Anthers 2.0-2.5 × 1.0-1.3 mm. Fruit 50-200 mm long, 4-winged, brown, sparsely to moderately pubescent, with up to 12 seeds. Seeds 5.5-8.5 × 4.0-5.5 mm, oblong, elliptic to ± orbicular, yellow to light yellow-brown. FL (May-)Aug-Oct; FT Oct-May.
Bushy, spreading to decumbent shrub, up to 3 m high, with several prostrate, decumbent and/or spreading main branches arising at or near ground level. Divaricating and/or flexuose juvenile branchlets absent; branchlets prostrate, decumbent to spreading, moderately to densely pubescent, becoming glabrous with age; hairs appressed, straight. Seedlings and juveniles moderately to densely leafy, leaves with increasing numbers of leaflets. Leaflets of juveniles 2.5-3.5 × 2.0-2.5 mm, rotund to broadly elliptic, sparsely to moderately hairy, not crowded or overlapping. Leaves on adults up to 10 cm long, imparipinnate, subconduplicate, petioles and rachides channelled above, leaflets 23-37. Leaflets on adults 5.0-12.0 × 2.0-6.0 mm, elliptic, elliptic oblong, to broadly elliptic, distal and proximal leaflets similar in size, not crowded or overlapping, distant, adaxial surface dark green, abaxial surface light green; apices round to slightly retuse; bases obtuse; petiolules 0.4-0.5 mm long; petioles, rachides, petiolules, and leaflets usually pubescent, hairs c. 0.2 mm long, appressed, straight. Inflorescences racemose, with up to 5 flowers, flowers usually hidden among foliage; peduncles and rachides 10- 20 mm long; Pedicels up to 15 mm long, each subtended by a bract; bracts 1-2 mm long; peduncles, rachides, pedicels, bracts, and calyces moderately to densely pubescent, hairs brown, appressed. Calyx 9-12 × 10-16 mm, cupulate, rim shallowly lobed, with deeper notch adjacent to standard. Corolla yellow; keel petal blade 26-30 × 7.5-11 mm; wing petal blade 25-30 × 6.5-8.5 mm; standard petal blade 20-23 × 18-21 mm; petals with distinct claws, 4.5-7.5 mm long. Stipe 5-7 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Ovary 18-20 mm long, densely pubescent; hairs 0.2-0.4 mm long, off- white to light brown, appressed. Style 11-12 mm long, glabrous to sparsely pubescent. Stigma fringed with short hairs. Filaments 24-30 mm long. Anthers 1.7-2.1 × 0.8-0.9 mm. Fruit 50-100 mm long 4- winged, brown, sparsely to moderately pubescent, with up to 9 seeds. Seeds 4.3-8.8 × 3.0-4.0 mm, oblong, light brown to yellow. FL Apr-Oct; FT Jun- May.
A S. microphylla differt ramificatione juvenili non divaricata, facie compacta fruticosa saepe decumbenti, foliis atroventribus subanthesi noncaducis et interea floribus plerumque sparsim dispositis, et in habitatione in scopulis expositis.

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Key to the New Zealand species (see also Table 1)

1
Shrub, branches at or near ground level and usually slender
2
Tree, branches well above ground level and usually thick
5
2
Branchlets not interlaced, usually grey to grey-brown glabrous to sparsely hairy
3
Branchlets interlaced, usually yellow-brown to orange-brown, sparsely to moderately hairy
4
3
Shrub usually wider than high; main branches spreading to decumbent, sometimes prostrate, underground branches and rhizomes absent; leaves with 23-37 leaflets; leaflets 5.0-12.0 × 2.0-6.0 mm, elliptic, elliptic oblong, to broadly elliptic, sparsely hairy; Kapiti Island, islands in Cook Strait, southern head- lands of North Island, dry and exposed windy bluffs
Shrub usually of similar width and height; main branches upright to spreading, underground branches and rhizomes usually present, often with numerous branches near the base; leaves with 35-52 leaflets; leaflets 3.3-5.8 × 2.5-3.1 mm, orbicular, obovate, to oblong-obovate, usually more or less glabrous; northern Nelson, western Marlborough, marble and limestone rock outcrops
4
Branchlets interlaced on juvenile and adult; leaves < 3 cm long, leaflet pairs 1-5, usually glabrous; standard petal orange; pods lacking wings; seeds dark brown; eastern South Island, dry grey scrub communities
Branchlets interlaced in juvenile only; leaves > 3 cm, leaflet pairs > 6, sparsely to moderately hairy; flowers usually absent, if present standard petal yellow; pods usually absent, if present winged; seeds yellow or yellow-brown; North and South islands, terraces and hillslopes .
5
Ovary and leaves with hairs spreading, curved and/or twisted; leaflets densely hairy
6
Ovary and leaves with hairs appressed, straight; leaflets not densely hairy, or if densely hairy greater than 15 mm long
7
6
Leaves with 61-91 leaflets; leaflets elliptic to elliptic-oblong, occasionally narrowly obovate, usually sessile; leaflet hairs appressed, decumbent, or spreading, predominantly straight and sometimes twisted; northern North Island, andesitic and basaltic volcanic rock outcrops
Leaves with 47-75 leaflets; leaflets ovate, broadly elliptic, to sometimes more or less orbicular, with a more or less distinct petiolule; leaflet hairs appressed, decumbent, spreading, or patent, predominantly curly, curved, or twisted; central North Island, siltstone, sandstone, and mudstone (papa)
7
Leaves with less than 23 leaflets; leaflets more than 18 mm long, three times longer than wide, narrowly elliptic to elliptic-oblong, densely hairy; eastern North Island, terraces and hillslopes
Leaves with more than 24 leaflets; leaflets less than 16 mm long, length usually less than twice their width, elliptic, broadly elliptic, obovate, broadly obovate, ovate, broadly ovate, oblong to more or less orbicular, glabrous or moderately hairy
8
8
Juvenile growth habit present, leaflets 4.5-12.5 × 2.3-5.7 mm; distal and proximal leaflets usually similar in size, distant, not crowded or overlapping, elliptic, broadly elliptic, obovate to ovate, sometimes more or less orbicular, usually moderately hairy; North and South islands, terraces and hill country
Juvenile growth habit absent; leaflets 6.0-16.0 × 4.0-8.0 mm distal leaflets usually smaller than proximal leaflets, crowded and overlapping, broadly elliptic, broadly obovate, broadly ovate, obovate to more or less orbicular, moderately hairy; North Island and Chatham Islands, coastal and lowland hill country
Juvenile growth habit absent; leaflets 3.3-5.8 × 2.5-3.1 mm, distal and proximal leaflets similar in size, overlapping to distant, orbicular, obovate, to oblong-obovate, usually more or less glabrous; northern Nelson, western Marlborough, marble and limestone rock outcrops

Reproduced with permission from New Zealand Journal of Botany and The Royal Society of New Zealand Te Apārangi.

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61f641a8-0f25-41a5-afaa-0418ccb8519c
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Names_Plants
12 September 2016
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