Indigofera hilaris Eckl. & Zeyh.

Stiffly erect to decumbent, gregarious perennial herb or dwarf subshrub 0.1-0.3(0.4) in tall, mostly flowering after fire. Stems usually many from the crown of a thick woody rootstock, ribbed, ± compressed, reddish-brown, sparsely strigillose to more densely strigose with closely appressed, ± equally biramous hairs, sometimes spreading at tips, reddish multicellular hairs to 0.2 mm, sometimes gland-tipped, sparse or lacking. Stipules 2-9 mm long, linear-setaceous or subulate, stiffly erect or ascending. Leaves pinnately (1)3-13(15)-foliolate, mostly with 3-7 leaflets, upper leaves sometimes with more, basal leaves reduced, becoming scale-like, decurrent with stipule bases and ultimately thickened, lanceolate to ovate, clustered around stem base; leaf axis 2-15(25) mm long including petiole of 0.5-4 mm, not or rarely prolonged to 1 mm beyond lateral leaflets; stipels absent; terminal leaflet (5)6-25 x 1-5 mm, linear-oblanceolate to obovate, 2-10 times as long as wide, strongly apiculate, sparsely to densely appressed strigillose on both surfaces with ± equally biramous hairs, margins sometimes with gland-tipped hairs, secondary venation usually prominent above, sharply ascending from midrib; leaflets often folded. Raceme 1.5-4(5) cm long, rachis not zigzag, equal to twice subtending leaf length (longer in axils of basal leaves) including peduncle of 4-17 mm, ± densely (4)5-12(15)-flowered, flowering less prolifically in second year of growth (i.e. if escaped burning); bracts 1-2 mm long, subulate, falling early; pedicels 0.5-2 mm long. Calyx (2.5)3-5 mm long, including a 0.5-1 mm tube, ± densely appressed grey strigillose to strigose, occasionally with gland-tipped multicellular hairs; lobes narrowly triangular, lanceolate or subulate, 2-4 times tube length. Corolla 7-8 mm long, pink to carmine-red; back of standard and distal keel margin appressed strigillose to strigose, keel apex obtuse. Stamens (5)6-7(8) mm long. Ovary densely finely and closely appressed, yellowish strigillose. Style 2-3 mm long, horizontal to vertical length ratio 1:2. Pod (10)12-30 x c. 2 mm, setting rather infrequently, straight, cylindrical, ascending, appressed whitish strigillose, reddish to brown, gland-tipped hairs lacking (in Flora area); style-base persistent forming a short beak; endocarp spotted with tannin deposits. Seeds 4-15, 1.5-2 x 1.2-1.5 mm, quadrangular-cylindrical to globose, khaki, yellow, orange or brown, sometimes purple-mottled, ± shiny, not pitted.

It is a tropical plant. It grows between 1,000-2,200 m above sea level in areas with a rainfall of 100-130 cm.

The roots are eaten as a snack.