Hovea acanthoclada (Turcz.) F.Muell.
Thorny Hovea

Scientific Description

Erect or prostrate,spreading or scrambling, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like). Stems terete, spiny at least in part, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, simple, whorled, not continuous with stem, 2-5.5 mm long, 2-2.6 mm wide, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins lobed or dentate; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves. Pedicel present, 2-2.6 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present and persistent, 0.7-1.2 mm long, hairy, not striate. Calyx 4-5.6 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 8-10 mm long, multicoloured, mostly purple or blue, with some purple or blue spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 8-9.5 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 7.5-8 mm long, not auriculate, keel 5.5-7 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.3-0.4 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 3-4.7 mm long. Ovary stipitate or sessile or subsessile, glabrous; style 6.2-6.7 mm long, glabrous, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 6-7 mm long, 9-10 mm wide, stipitate or sessile or subsessile, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, glabrous, not beaked. Flowers in July, August, September and October. Occurs in the Eremaean Botanical Province, in the Coolgardie, Mallee and Esperance IBRA regions.