Psoralea pinnata
Common name
Dally pine
Family
Fabaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Trees & Shrubs - Dicotyledons
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
PSOPIN
Conservation status
Not applicable
Habitat
Terrestrial. Shrublands, especially dry slow growing shrublands, coastal areas, tracksides, road verges, dry gullies, and forest margins. Shrublands
Detailed description
Much-branched shrub or small tree, to approx. 5m high; twigs sparsely to moderately hairy, ribbed. Leaves imparipinnate, sparsely to moderately hairy, petiolate; leaflets filiform, acute to acuminate, in 1~4 opposite pairs, 15~40mm long; stipules connate at base, lanceolate, 3~6mm long. Flowers axillary, solitary or in small clusters amongst leaves; pedicels 3~8mm long; bracts subtending pedicel lanceolate, 4~8mm long; bracteoles connate into a closed cup on the pedicel. Calyx hairy; calyx teeth < tube, triangular; lowest tooth slightly larger. Wings and keel white to pale blue; standard deeper blue or mauve toward apex, 12~18mm long. Pod glabrous, wrinkled, elliptic, 1-seeded, 4~5mm long; seeds smooth, dark brown. (-Webb et. al., 1988)
Flowering
November, December, January
Flower colours
Blue, Violet/Purple
Life cycle
Perennial.
Year naturalised
1870
Origin
South Africa
Reason for introduction
Ornamental
Etymology
pinnata: From the Latin pinna ‘feather’, in botany pinnatus ‘pinnate’ refers an arrangement of leaves, veins or branches in rows along a central axis, similar to the structure of a feather.