Polygala virgata Thunb.

Perennial somewhat-branched shrub up to 2 m high. Young stems with short curly hairs, glabrous when older. Lvs all alternate, glabrous or sparsely hairy, oblanceolate, obovate or linear, obtuse to acute, mucronate, entire, subsessile, 10–40 mm long. Fls in loose, branched or simple, terminal racemes; perianth coloured pink to purple toward apex; pedicels 5–10 mm long; bracts ovate-triangular, c. 2 mm long, deciduous; 3 outer sepals elliptic to obovate, 4–5 mm long; wings petaloid, c. 10–12 mm long, ± = or > corolla; outer petals entire, c. 1/2 length of keel; keel fimbriate at apex. Capsule glabrous, c. 6–10 mm long with a marginal wing c. 1 mm wide, 1/2-⅔ length of persistent calyx wings; seeds hairy, narrow-oblong, c. 4–5 mm long; strophiole 3-lobed.

[From: Webb et al. (1988) Flora of New Zealand. Volume 4.]

Flowering: Sep.–Jan.