Dwarf glab. shrub up to c. 15 cm. tall, forming rather close-set patches by stout rhizomes. Branchlets much-compressed, obtuse, striate, 2-(3) mm. wide. Infl. a 1-3-fld, short raceme; fls ± 8 × 3 mm., on slender bracted pedicels. Calyx c. 2 mm. diam., teeth triangular; standard purplish at base, paler towards apex, veins darker (some plants have greenish to full yellow standards with purple veins); wings distinctly < standard, white with purple veins, auricles pointed; keel purplish, ± = standard, auricles pointed. Ovary glab. Pods elliptic-oblong, turgid, ± transversely wrinkled, 9-12 × 3-4 mm.; beak straight, ± 3 mm. long, slender. Seeds dark blue-black.

2n = c. 96

Dwarf, rhizomatous shrub, up to (20-)40-60(-80) mm × 1 m, forming a dense mat or tufts of cladodes. Rhizomes becoming increasingly stout and woody with age, 5-200(-400) × (1-)2-3.5(-5) mm. Cladodes linear, striate, compressed, erect, yellow-green to orange-green, glabrous, (20-)40-60(-70) × 1.5-3(-3.5) mm; apex subacute to obtuse, yellow to yellow-green; leaf nodes (2-)4-8(-12). Leaves simple, broad-obovate to broad-elliptic, fleshy, entire, green, present on seedlings and absent on mature plants, 5.5-8 × 3- 5 mm; adaxial and abaxial surfaces with scattered hairs; apex emarginate to retuse; base cuneate to narrow-obtuse; petiole sparsely hairy, 2-2.5 mm long. Leaves on cladodes reduced to a scale, triangular, glabrous, 0.6-1.5 × 0.8-1.4 mm; apex acute. Stipules free, triangular, 0.6-1.1 × 0.6-1.2 mm; adaxial surface glabrous; abaxial surface hairy when young, glabrous at maturity; apex acute to sub-acute; margin hairy. Inflorescence a raceme, 1 per node, with (1-)2 flowers. Peduncle glabrous or sparsely hairy, green, 5-15 mm long. Bracts triangular, glabrous, pale green, 0.5-1 mm long; apex obtuse; margin hairy. Pedicel glabrous or hairy, pale green, 3-7.5 mm long. Bracteoles at top of pedicel, triangular, glabrous, green and often flushed red, c. 0.2 × c. 0.2 mm; margin hairy; apex acute. Calyx campanulate, c. 2.5 × c. 2.5 mm; inner surface glabrous, green; outer surface glabrous or sparsely hairy, green. Calyx lobes triangular, flushed red, c. 0.5 mm long; apex acute; margin hairy or glabrous. Bud green. Standard obovate, patent, 8-10 × 6-8 mm; adaxial surface central area purple, margin white, sometimes purple-green veined; abaxial surface green, margin cream-green, sometimes purplegreen veined; apex retuse; claw pale green, c. 1.5 mm long. Wings oblong, shorter than keel, 5- 6.5 × c. 2 mm; adaxial surface distal area purple, proximal area green; abaxial surface white, sometimes purple-veined; auricle triangular, pale green, apex obtuse, c. 1.25 mm long; claw pale green, c. 1.5 mm long. Keel (Fig. 1C) 6-8 × 2.5-3 mm; distal area of adaxial surface purple, proximal area pale green; distal area of abaxial surface purplegreen, proximal area pale green; auricle triangular, pale green, with obtuse apex, c. 0.75 mm long; claw pale green, 2-2.5 mm long. Stamens 7.5-9 mm long; lower filaments connate for c. 2/3 length and outside filaments free for 1.5-2.5 mm. Pistil exserted beyond stamens, c. 10 mm long; style with a ring of hairs below stigma, and sometimes a few scattered hairs on adaxial surface; ovules 9-11. Pod elliptic-oblong, laterally compressed, weakly falcate, black, brown, or grey, 7.5—13(—15) × 3-4- mm; one valve partially dehiscent from base; beak on adaxial suture, slightly upturned, stout, pungent, 1.5-2 mm long. Seeds oblong-reniform, (2)-4—6-(9) per pod, black, brown, tan, or olive green, 1.2-2 × 1-1.5 mm. FL Oct-Feb(- May), FT Nov-Jun.