Isotropis atropurpurea F.Muell.
Poison Sage

Scientific Description

Erect, shrub, spindly shrub (broom-like) or herb. Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, simple, alternate, not continuous with stem, 10-40 mm long, 5-20 mm wide, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 3 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 6.5 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present and persistent, 2.5-3 mm long, hairy, not striate. Calyx 7-10.5 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 10-13.5 mm long, multicoloured, mostly yellow, red, orange or brown, with some yellow, red, orange or brown spots, streaks or blotches; claws absent; standard 10-11 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 9.5-10.5 mm long, not auriculate, keel 9.2-10.5 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 1-1.2 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments free (or united at the very base), 7-9 mm long. Ovary sessile or subsessile, hairy or glandular; style 10.5-11.5 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, not bearded, terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), 20 mm long, 4 mm wide, sessile or subsessile, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, hairy, with simple hairs, not beaked. Flowers in July, August, September, October and November. Occurs in the Northern and Eremaean Botanical Province, in the Great Sandy Desert, Pilbara, Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Little Sandy Desert, Gibson Desert, Murchison, Victoria Bonaparte and Dampierland IBRA regions.