Variable shrub to 60 cm tall, branches short, often spine-tipped; stems with hairs usually short, curved, often rusty. Leaves opposite, alternate or in irregular whorls of 3 or more, narrow-linear, 3–10 mm long, c. 1 mm wide, upper surface becoming glabrous, lower surface with scattered long hairs; margins revolute; petiole c. 1 mm long. Flowers 1 or 2 in upper axils, forming a leafy raceme; pedicels 2–3 mm long, sparsely hairy; bracts c. 1 mm long; calyx 3–4 mm long, villous, teeth acute; petals 5–10 mm long; standard yellow and red; keel crimson to purple. Pod ovoid, 4–6 mm long, turgid, villous; seeds 2, c. 2.5 mm long, black, reticulate. Flowers Aug.–Nov.
LoM, MuM, Wim, RobP. Also SA, NSW. Apparently confined to the far north-west of Victoria where found in mallee communities on deep sandy soils.
Source:
Jeanes, J.A. (1996). Fabaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 663–829. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
