Indigofera trita L.f.

Scientific Description

Prostrate,spreading or scrambling, herb. Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, compound, alternate, not continuous with stem, 15-25 mm long, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent, pinnately arranged, terminal leaflet present, stalked; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 3-4 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 0.5-1 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present but early deciduous. Calyx 2.5-3.5 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 4-5 mm long, multicoloured, mostly pink, red or orange, with some pink, red or orange spots, streaks or blotches; claws absent; standard 5-6 mm long, hairy at least in part, wings 5-6 mm long, not auriculate, keel 5-6 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, hairy at least in part. Stamens ten; filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen. Ovary stipitate, hairy or glandular. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 20-30 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, sessile or subsessile, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, hairy, with simple hairs, not beaked. Flowers in January, March, April, May, September, October and November. Occurs in the Northern and Eremaean Botanical Province, in the Pilbara, Carnarvon, Northern Kimberley, Victoria Bonaparte, Central Kimberley, Ord-Victorian-Plain and Dampierland IBRA regions.