Classification
Class
Magnoliopsida Brongn.
Order
Fabales Bromhead
Family
Leguminosae
Genus
Sophora L.
 Nomenclature
Scientific Name:
Sophora godleyi Heenan & de Lange in Heenan et al., New Zealand J. Bot. 39: 40 (2001)
Vernacular Name(s):
Godley's kowhai
 Description

Small to large tree, often up to 25 m high, with 1 main trunk or several prominent main branches; main branches upright to spreading. Divaricating and/or strongly flexuose juvenile branchlets absent; branchlets densely pubescent, becoming glabrous with age; hairs appressed, spreading or patent, predominantly curly, curved, or twisted, also straight. Seedlings and juveniles moderately to densely leafy, leaves with increasing numbers of leaflets. Leaflets on juveniles 6.0-9.0 × 3.5-6.0 mm, ovate, ± orbicular to elliptic, glabrous to sparsely pubescent, becoming moderately pubescent, not crowded or overlapping. Leaves on adults up to 17 cm long, imparipinnate, petioles and rachides channelled above, leaflets 47-75. Leaflets on adults 2.0-8.0 × 2.0-5.0 mm, ovate to broadly elliptic, sometimes ± orbicular, distal leaflets usually smaller than proximal leaflets, sometimes crowded but not overlapping, adaxial surface grey to green-grey, abaxial surface lighter than adaxial surface and often concave; apices usually retuse to sometimes rounded; bases obtuse; petiolules up to 2 mm long, often only up to 0.5 mm long on leaflets < 3 mm long; petioles, rachides, petiolules, and leaflets usually pilose, sometimes villous, hairs 0.2-0.6 mm long, appressed, decumbent, spreading or patent, predominantly curly, curved, or twisted, but also straight. Inflorescences racemose, with up to 7 flowers; peduncle and rachis 20-40 mm long; pedicels up to 20 mm long, each subtended by a bract; bracts 1.5-3.5 mm long; peduncles, rachides, pedicels, bracts, and calyces moderately to densely pubescent; hairs brown appressed, decumbent, spreading, or patent. Calyx 9-13 × 10-16 mm, cupulate, rim shallowly lobed, with deeper notch adjacent to standard. Corolla yellow; keel petal blade 34-50 × 9- 14 mm, wing petal blade 25-48 × 6-9 mm, standard petal blade 20-35 × 11-21 mm; petals with distinct claws, 5.0-6.5 mm long. Stipe 6-1 1 mm long, ± glabrous. Ovary 17-23 mm long, densely pubescent; hairs 0.4-0.7 mm long, off-white to light brown, appressed, spreading or patent, straight, curved, or twisted. Style 12-14 mm long, exerted beyond anthers, glabrous or with a few twisted hairs. Stigma fringed with short hairs. Filaments 25-40 mm long; anthers 1.8-2.0 × 0.9-1.0 mm. Fruit 60-120 mm long, 4-winged, brown, sparsely to moderately pubescent, with up to 11 seeds. Seeds 5-8 × 4-5 mm, oblong, yellow to yellow-brown. FL Oct-Dec; FT Jan-May.

[Reproduced from Heenan et al. (2001, New Zealand J. Bot. 39: 17–53) with permission from The Royal Society of New Zealand.]

 Biostatus
Indigenous (Endemic)
 Bibliography
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Barkla J.W.; Courtney, S.P.; Champion, P.D.; Perrie, L.R.; Beadel, S.N.; Ford, K.A.; Breitwieser, I.; Schönberger, I.; Hindmarsh-Walls, R.; Heenan, P.B.; Ladley, K. 2018: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2017. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. No. 22. [Not Threatened]
de Lange, P.J.; Rolfe, J.R.; Champion, P.D.; Courtney, S.P.; Heenan, P.B.; Barkla, J.W.; Cameron, E.K.; Norton, D.A.; Hitchmough, R.A. 2013: Conservation status of New Zealand indigenous vascular plants, 2012. New Zealand Threat Classification Series 3. Department of Conservation, Wellington. [Not Threatened]
Heenan, P.B.; de Lange, P.J.; Wilton, A.D. 2001: Sophora (Fabaceae) in New Zealand: taxonomy, distribution, and biogeography. New Zealand Journal of Botany 39(1): 17–53.