Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
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Hovea purpurea
Velvet hovea, Tall hovea
Fabaceae
Forest, woodland, and dense shrubland, usually on rocky ridges and near streams. Widespread. No records from the Western Slopes.
Shrub to 3 m tall. Stems with dense brown to grey hairs. Leaves alternating up the stems, 1.2-7 cm long, 4-17 mm wide. Standard petal 11.5-17 mm long, 10-15 mm wide, flat on each side of a recessed midrib, margins curved down, tips rounded to somewhat pointed, mucro up to 1 mm long; upper surface green, almost glossy, hairless except for hairs along the midrib, lower surface completely obscured by cream to tan curled hairs, midrib hairs dense, orange-brown. Flowers pea shaped, with 5 petals, 2 joined together to form the keel, mauve to purple, occasionally white, the standard petal with a greenish yellow spot. Flowers in mostly pairs at the base of the upper leaves. Flowers Spring to Summer.
Rare Vic.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Hovea~purpurea (accessed 19 January, 2021)
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