A very slender dwarf shrub spreading by very slender rhizomes, forming lax to rather compact patches up to c. 8 cm. tall. Branchlets up to 5 cm. × 1 mm., us. narrow, slightly compressed, finely striate, spreading, obtuse to subacute at apex. Fls 1-(2) on glab. peduncles, c. 8 mm. long, bracteoles minute; colouring much as in C. uniflora. Calyx-teeth obtuse to subacute; standard suborbicular; wings oblong, rounded. Ovary glab. Pods obliquely elliptic-oblong, 10-(15) × 3-(4) mm., ± wrinkled. Seeds 2-4-(6), reniform, purplish black.

A dwarf glab. rhizomatous shrub forming lax to compact patches up to ± 6 cm. tall. Branchlets compressed, up to 25 × 1-1·5 mm., tapering towards blunt apex, finely striate. Infl. of solitary fl. or occ. paired fls, (6)-8-(10) × (4)-6 mm., on very slender, minutely bracted, sts sparsely hairy peduncles. Calyx c. 3 × 2 mm., campanulate, with short triangular, acute teeth; standard rounded, purplish towards base, whitish towards apex, purple-veined; wings < keel, whitish, purple-veined, auricles pointed; keel purple, auricles pointed. Ovary glab. Pods elliptic-oblong, ± 10 × 4 mm., subcompressed, very dark brown to black; beak slender, subulate, straight, c. 2 mm. long. Seeds 4-6, reniform, bluish black to black.

2n = 96

2n = c. 96

Dwarf, rhizomatous shrub, up to 20-40(-60) mm × 1 m, forming a dense mat or tufts of cladodes. Rhizomes becoming increasingly stout and woody with age, 50-200 × 1- 2.5 mm. Cladodes filiform, linear, striate, compressed, erect to spreading, green to green-yellow, glabrous, 20-40(-60) × 0.75-1.8(-2) mm; apex subacute, yellow to yellow- green; leaf nodes (2-)5- 7(-14). 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, each with 1(-2) flowers. Peduncle glabrous, occasionally sparsely hairy, green, 4-15 mm long. Bracts, triangular, glabrous, pale green, 0.5-0.8 × 0.5-0.8 mm; apex acute; margin hairy. Pedicel glabrous, occasionally sparsely hairy, pale green, 3-7.5 mm long. Bracteoles at top of pedicel, triangular to narrowtriangular, glabrous, green and occasionally flushed red, 0.2-0.3 × 0.1-0.2 mm; apex acute; margin hairy. 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 white, central area purple, sometimes purple-green veined; abaxial surface green, margin cream-green, sometimes purple-green veined; apex retuse; claw pale green, c. 1.5 mm long. Wings oblong, shorter than keel, 5-6.5 × c. 2 mm; distal area of adaxial surface purple, proximal area green; abaxial surface white, sometimes purpleveined; auricle triangular, pale green, apex obtuse, c. 1.25 mm long; claw pale green. Keel (Fig. 1C) 6- 8 × 2.5-3 mm; distal area of adaxial surface purple, proximal area pale green; distal area of abaxial surface dark, proximal area pale green; auricle triangular, pale green, c. 0.75 mm long, with obtuse apex; claw pale green, 2-2.5 mm long. Stamens 7.5-9 mm long; lower filaments connate for c. 2A 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; ovules 9-11. Pod ellipticoblong, laterally compressed, weakly falcate, black, brown, or grey, one valve dehiscent from base, 7.5- 13 × 3—4 mm; 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-Mar, FT Nov-May.