Erect to prostrate perennial herb or subshrub to 1m, arising from a woody taproot. Steins many-branched, yellowish to red or purple, ± densely grey to white villous, tomentose or pubescent with long, very unequally biramous hairs; densely scattered with reddish pearl bodies. Stipules 5-14 x 0.7-3 mm, ±4 times as long as wide, up to twice petiole length (but see below), obliquely lanceolate, acuminate, apex usually with a minute stalked gland in juvenile specimens, base rounded, oblique, sparsely to densely sericeous to villous. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, lateral leaflets sometimes smaller; leaf axis 4-13 mm long including petiole of (2.5)3-6(9) mm, rachis extended 0.5-6 mm beyond lateral leaflets; stipels absent; terminal leaflet 6-18(24) x 2-6(7.5) mm, oblanceolate-obovate to oblong, to 4 times as long as wide, apex obtuse to acute, base cuneate-attenuate to obtuse, densely sericeous to villous above with long hairs neatly combed upwards at 45° to midrib, indumentum obscuring any coarse ± equally biramous hairs, ± densely villous to sericeous below with long hairs only; leaflets often tipped with minute stalked glands. Inflorescence of 1-3-flowered racemes clustered in leaf axils, leaves becoming reduced and bractlike above, sometimes including ± paniculate condensed lateral shoots, overlapping racemes obscuring much reduced bract-like leaves; raceme 2-4 mm long, subsessile or including peduncle to 2 mm long; bracts 1.5-3 mm long, linear-lanceolate to subulate, falling early; pedicels 0.5-1 mm long, spreading to reflexed. Calyx 3.5-5 mm long, sericeous to villous, tube c. 0.5 mm long, lobes 3-4.5 mm long, linear-attenuate, usually tipped with minute stalked glands in juvenile specimens. Corolla 4.5-5.5 mm long, red; back of standard whitish-pubescent, distal margin of keel sparsely pilose to subglabrous, keel apex obtuse. Stamens 3.5-4.5 mm long, equal to calyx. Style 3-4 mm long, bending to erect in upper third. Pod 3.5-8 x 1.5-2 mm, ovoid to oblong or subcylindrical, spreading to reflexed, silky cobweb-villous, apex acute, style-base persistent forming a beak; endocarp with 2 stripes of tannin deposits. Seeds 1-4, c. 1.5 x 1.2 mm, squarish, pale coloured.
Home