Stout, erect, openly branched shrub up to c. 2 m. tall. Branchlets yellow-green, rigid, terete to plano-convex, ± 10 cm. × 3-4 mm., almost pungent-pointed. A few lvs occ. present on adults, 1-3-foliolate, pilose; terminal lflt up to c. 5 mm. long, lateral minute. Infl. of 1-3 short racemes per notch, (3)-5-(8)-fld, on pubescent to pilose peduncles. Fls ± 6 × 5 mm., on very short slender pubescent pedicels. Calyx campanulate, silky, ± 3 × 2 mm.; teeth minute, acute to subacute. Standard > keel, purple-flushed towards apex, paler to base, purple-veined; keel greenish white, purplish towards apex, auricles rounded; wings whitish, purplish towards apex, auricles rounded. Ovary glab. Pods obliquely oblong, turgid, dark brown, 8-10 × 4 mm., beak c. 1 mm. long, subulate. Seeds 1-2, greenish yellow, us. much black-mottled.

A smaller and more slender shrub hardly > 1·5 m. tall; branchlets hardly > 2 mm. wide, more flattened; fls c. 4 × 3 mm.; calyx 1 × 1 mm. Pods seldom > 6 × 3 mm., pale to very dark brown; seeds 2-4, yellowish green, black-mottled.

Erect stout shrub, closely and divaricately branched, up to c. 2.5 m. tall. Branchlets dark green, grooved, slightly compressed, glab., 1-2 mm. diam. Lvs 1-3-foliolate, pilose, ± 3 × 2 mm. Infl. of 1-3 subumbellate, shortly peduncled racemes with 3-5 fls. Fls ± 5 × 4 mm., on very short ± pubescent pedicels. Calyx c. 2 × 1 mm., ± pubescent, campanulate; teeth minute, triangular; standard purple-veined, purple-flushed, except towards white apex, auricles rounded; keel whitish, slightly purple-flushed, auricles rounded; wings whitish, purple-veined, auricles pointed. Ovary pilose. Pods c. 7-8 × 3 mm., obliquely elliptic-oblong, slightly compressed, dark brown; beak short, stout, subulate. Seeds 2-(3), pale yellow-green, black-mottled.

Erect, virgately much-branched shrub up to c. 2 m. tall. Branches ∞; branchlets slender, ± terete, striate, c. 1 mm. diam., ± pilose when young. Young plants lfy, adults with few or no lvs; lflts minute, ± hairy. Infl. of 1-3 racemes per notch, on short us. glab. peduncles. Fls 2-5, lax, c. 4 × 4 mm. on us. glab. pedicels. Calyx glab. or nearly so, campanulate, c. 2 × 2 mm.; teeth short, acute to subacute. Standard > keel, broad, white, purple-veined; keel whitish, purple-veined, long-clawed, auricles rounded; wings white, auricles rounded. Ovary glab. Pods 6-8 × 3 mm., obliquely oblong, ± turgid, ± narrowed to apex and base, light to dark brown; beak ± 1 mm., straight, subulate. Seeds (1)-2-4, pale green, heavily black-mottled.

2n = 32

2n = 32

Ascending, spreading, or prostrate shrub, up to 2.5 × 2 m. Branches 10— 100 mm diameter, stout, ascending, spreading, or prostrate. Cladodes 30-150 × 1-3.5 mm, erect to spreading, linear, striate, terete, or compressed, green, yellow-green, or bronze-green, stout or slender; apex obtuse or subacute, often pungent-tipped, yellow, yellow-green, or green; leaf nodes 4—11. Leaves 1-3-foliolate, present on seedlings, usually absent on adults, terminal leaflet larger; lamina 2.5- 12 × 2-7.5 mm, obovate, fleshy, green, adaxial surface glabrous or hairy, abaxial surface hairy, apex emarginate, base cuneate; petiole 2-13 mm long, glabrous or with few scattered hairs, green; petiolule < 1 mm long, glabrous, light green. Leaves on cladodes reduced to scales, < 0.5 mm long, broadtriangular, hairy on adaxial surface, apex subacute. Stipules c. 0.5 × c. 1 mm, free, triangular, apex subacute, margin hairy, adaxial surface glabrous or with few scattered hairs, abaxial surface with few scattered hairs. Inflorescence a raceme, 1—2(—3) per node, each with (3-)6-9 flowers. Peduncle 3-20 mm long, hairy, green and often flushed red. Bracts < 1 mm long, triangular, glabrous or sparsely hairy, green or red-green, apex acute to subacute, margin hairy. Pedicel 1.5-2.5 mm long, hairy, pale green. Bracteoles < 0.5 mm long, on receptacle or pedicel, green, hairy, apex subacute, margin hairy. Calyx 2 - 3 × 1.5—1.8 mm, campanulate, green, outer surface hairy and sometimes flushed red. Calyx lobes < 0.5 mm long, triangular, green and usually flushed red, glabrous or hairy, appressed to corolla, apex acute. Standard 4.5—5 × 5.5—6 mm, broad-obovate, patent, positioned in central part of keel, keeled, apex emarginate, margins incurved; inner surface white with various shades of red-purple, veins red-purple, margin often white; outer surface white, often darkened in central part; claw c. 2 mm long, pale green. Wings 4.5—5 × 1.5-2 mm, oblong, exserted beyond keel, white with distal part red-purple and proximal part pale green, apex obtuse; auricle < 0.5 mm long, triangular, pale green; claw c. 1.5 mm long, pale green. Keel (Fig. 2C) 4.5-5 × 1.5-2 mm; distal part red-purple, proximal part white or pale green; auricle c. 0.5 mm long, triangular, pale green, apex obtuse; claw 1.5-2 mm long, pale green. Stamens 4.5-5 mm long; dorsal filaments connate for c. ¾ of length, outer stamens free for c. 1 mm. Pistil 4.7- 5.2 mm long, exserted beyond stamens, glabrous; ovules 6—8; stigma with a fringe of hairs below. Pods 5.5-9.5 × 2.5-4.2 mm, broad-elliptic, oblong, broadoblong, or obovate, laterally compressed, usually pendulous or rarely spreading, light grey or brown; valves dehiscent along upper suture and distal and proximal parts of lower suture, usually long persistent but sometimes dehiscing completely; beak < 1 mm long, on upper suture or occasionally in a central apical position, stout, pungent-tipped. Seeds 1.8-2.6 × 1.2-2 mm, broad-elliptic, reniform, or oblong, 1—4 per pod, green or green-yellow with black mottling, quickly abscising from funicle. Chromosome number 2n = 32 (Slade 1953). FL Nov-Jan, FT Jan-May.