Low-growing shrub with branches up to 6 dm. long; branchlets ascending, rigid, grooved, ± pilose, rounded at apex, much compressed, up to 12 cm. × 4-5-(8) mm. Lvs on young plants unifoliolate, sessile or nearly so, 4 × 2 mm., obcordate, pilose. Infl. of lax 3-7-fld racemes, peduncles and pedicels pubescent. Fls ± 10 × 5-7 mm. Calyx c. 5 × 3 mm., densely clad in ± appressed hairs; teeth 2-3 mm. long, narrow-triangular, acute; standard c. 10 × 7 mm., whitish, purple-veined, with basal purple blotch; wings c. 6 × 2-3 mm., purple-veined, auricles narrow, pointed; keel ± 8 mm. long, purplish, with darker veins, auricles rounded. Ovary glab. Pods (12)-15-20 × 4-7 mm., obliquely oblong, subturgid, dark brown to black; beak oblique, stout, subulate, up to 3 mm. long. Seeds 4-8, 2-3 mm. long, reniform, pale green to yellowish, sparsely black-spotted, becoming brownish.

2n = 32

Dwarf and spreading shrub, up to 0.2 × 0.5 m. Branches stout, ascending and horizontal, 10-25 mm diameter. Cladodes linear, striate, compressed, erect to spreading, green to green-bronze, frequently hairy when young (hairs sometimes retrorse), 30-95 × 4-8 mm; apex subacute to obtuse, yellow to yellow-green; leaf nodes 2-4. Leaves simple, obovate to oblanceolate, fleshy, green or green-bronze, present on seedlings, but absent on adult plants, 6-8 × 2-5.5 mm; adaxial and abaxial surfaces hairy; apex emarginate to retuse; base cuneate; petiole hairy, c. 2 mm long. Leaves on cladodes reduced to a scale, triangular, glabrous, <0.5 mm long; apex acute. Stipules free, triangular, 0.9-1 × 0.7-0.8 mm; adaxial surface glabrous; abaxial surface hairy, becoming glabrous with age; apex acute; margin hairy. Inflorescence a raceme, 1- 2(-4) per node, each with (l-)2-3(-4) flowers. Peduncle hairy, green, 7-8 mm long. Bracts triangular, glabrous, pale green, < 1 mm long; apex acute; margin hairy. Pedicel hairy, pale green, 2.5-8 mm long. Bracteoles at top of pedicel, green and occasionally flushed red, < 0.5 mm long; apex acute; margin hairy. Calyx campanulate, 4.5-5.5 × c. 2 mm; inner surface glabrous, green; outer surface hairy, green and occasionally flushed red. Calyx lobes narrow-triangular, green and usually flushed red, 2-2.5 mm long; adaxial surface densely hairy; apex acute; two upper lobes usually appressed to base of standard; three lower lobes spreading away from keel. Standard obovate, patent, positioned in central area of keel, weakly keeled, margins recurved, c. 12 × c. 8 mm; central area of adaxial surface purple, margins white, sometimes purpleveined; abaxial surface white with a darkened central part; claw pale green, c. 3 mm long; apex emarginate and occasionally mucronulate. Wings oblong, shorter than keel, c. 9 × c. 2.5 mm; distal area of adaxial surface purple, proximal area pale green; abaxial surface white, purple-veined; auricle triangular, pale green, 1-1.25 mm long; claw pale green, 2.5-3 mm long; apex acute. Keel (Fig. 1C) c. 10 × c. 3.5 mm; distal area of adaxial surface purple, proximal area white or pale green; auricle triangular, pale green, c. 1 mm long; apex obtuse; claw pale green, 3.5-4 mm long. Stamens 9- 11.5 mm long; lower filaments connate for c. 2h length and with outside filaments free for 4-4.5 mm. Pistil exserted beyond stamens, c. 12 mm long; style bearded on upper surface; ovary weakly falcate, glabrous; ovules (8—)13—14(—16). Pod oblong or oblanceolate, laterally compressed, light grey or brown, one or both valves often partially dehiscent at proximal end, 14-21(-23) × 4-6(-7.5) mm; beak on adaxial suture, stout, pungent, 1-2 mm long. Seeds oblong-reniform, (4-)6-8 per pod, olive green, green-yellow, or dull yellow, occasionally with black mottling, 2.5-3.5 × 1.5-3 mm. FL Jan-Dec, FT Dec-Apr.