Dwarf shrub, lfless when adult, up to c. 5 cm. tall, forming dense patches up to ± 10 cm. diam. Taproot stout, up to ± 15 mm. diam. Branches very close-set, erect; branchlets up to 25 × 1-2 mm., glab., much-compressed, finely striate. Lvs on juveniles very small, suborbicular, emarginate. Infl. of 1-2, 1-3-fld racemes on peduncles ± 5 mm. long. Fls 5 × 4 mm.; calyx 1 mm. diam., with short blunt to acute teeth; standard rather narrow, purplish with darker veins; keel greenish to purplish, auricles rounded; wings ± = keel. Ovary glab. Pods 1-(5), us. pale, on short pedicels, 6-8 × 4-5 mm., suborbicular to broad-oblong, compressed till dehiscing; replum sts incomplete; beak short, curved. Seeds 1-(3), hardly 3 mm. diam., reniform, dull black.

Branchlets ± 3-5 cm. × 1·5-2 mm.; spreading, rather less close-set. Fls up to 7 mm. long, paler; pods pale, suborbicular, ± 5 mm. diam. Seeds "light green, mottled with black". In type specimen now pale to dark brown with little evidence of mottling.

Depressed shrub up to 8 cm. tall, forming small patches. Taproot rather slender, deeply descending. Branches erect, rigid, very close-set, lfless when adult, glab. Branchlets 2-3 cm. × 2-3-(4) mm., strongly compressed, striate, obtuse at apex. Infl. of 1-2-(5) racemes, 1-3-fld. Fls ± 5 × 4 mm., on slender slightly hairy decurved pedicels; bracteoles minute, ovate, ciliate. Calyx ± 1 mm. diam., teeth acute; standard obcordate, lilac with purplish blotch, c. 4 mm. diam.; keel greenish white, auricles rounded. Ovary glab. Pods suborbicular to broad-oblong, compressed, 4-5-(6) mm. long, black or very dark brown; replum stout; beak rather stout, curved. Seeds 1-2, reniform, dull olive-green, black-mottled.

2n = 32

2n = 32

2n = 32

Dwarf, spreading shrub, 20-60 mm × 0.5 m, usually forming a dense mat of cladodes. Branches short, stout, often below ground level, 10-20 mm diameter. Cladodes linear, striate, compressed, usually erect and crowded, green or yellow-green, often hairy when young, glabrous at maturity, 10-30(-50) × 1.5-2(-4.5) mm; apex subacute, yellow, yellow-green, or red; leaf nodes 2-5(- 7). Leaves simple, obovate to broad-oblanceolate, fleshy, green, only occasionally present on seedlings and absent on adults, 4-5 × 1-2 mm; adaxial and abaxial surfaces hairy; apex retuse to obtuse; base cuneate; margins hairy; petiole glabrous or hairy, c. 1 mm long. Leaves on cladodes reduced to a scale, narrow to broad-triangular, glabrous, < 1 mm long; apex subacute to obtuse. Stipules free, c. 0.5 × c. 0.25 mm; margin hairy. Inflorescence a raceme, 1-2 per node, each with (1-)2-3(-4) flowers. Peduncle glabrous to hairy, green, 3—4 mm long. Bracts triangular, glabrous, pale green becoming membranous, < 0.5 mm long; apex subacute to obtuse; margin hairy. Pedicel glabrous or hairy, pale green, 1-2 mm long. Bracteoles on pedicel, glabrous, < 0.5 mm long; apex acute; margin hairy. Calyx campanulate, green to green-yellow, 1.5-2 × 1- 2 mm; inner surface glabrous; outer surface glabrous to sparsely hairy. Calyx lobes narrow- to broadtriangular, c. 0.5 mm long; apex subacute to obtuse, red to green; margin hairy or occasionally glabrous. Bud pale purple. Standard obovate, spreading horizontally above wings and keel, 4.5-6.5 × 4-5 mm; adaxial surface purple, with white margins and purple- veined; abaxial surface white, purple-veined; apex retuse; margin recurved; claw pale green, c. 1.25 mm long. Wings oblong, longer than keel, 3.5-5.5 × c. 1.25 mm; adaxial and abaxial surfaces white, flushed purple, sometimes purple-veined; auricle rounded, pale green or white, < 0.25 mm long; claw pale green, c. 2 mm long. Keel (Fig. 1 A) 4.5—5 × c. 1.25 mm; distal area of adaxial and abaxial surfaces purple, white in central and proximal areas, sometimes purple-veined; auricle rounded, pale green or white, c. 0.25 mm long; claw pale green, c. 2 mm long. Stamens 3.5-5 mm long; lower filaments connate for c. ½ length and with outside filaments free for 1.75-2.25 mm. Pistil exserted beyond stamens, 4-6 mm long; style glabrous or with few scattered hairs on adaxial surface; ovules (4-)7-8. Pod short- or broad-oblong, occasionally broadelliptic or ovate, laterally compressed, brown, black, or yellow-green, one valve partially dehiscent from upper replum, other valve usually indehiscent or only weakly dehiscent, 5-7 × 4.5-5.5 mm; beak in a central apical position, straight or slightly curved, 1- 3 mm long. Seeds oblong-reniform, 1-3 per pod, yellow, yellow-green, green, or black, occasionally with green or black mottling, 2.5-3 × 1.75-2 mm. FL Nov-Feb, FT Jan-May.