Erect shrub to 2 m or so tall with 5-ribbed branches. Leaves of 3 narrowly elliptic to obovate, stalked leaflets, or 1 stalkless leaflet, or leaves absent. Flowers axillary, solitary or in pairs; spring. Calyx 2-lipped, persistent in fruit. Corolla about 2.5 cm long, yellow or variously coloured in the many cultivars. Fruit pod linear-oblong, 2.5-6 cm long; seeds mostly 6-18.

f. andreanus (Puissant) Zab. Wing petals brownish crimson, standard yellow, suffused with brownish crimson.This is the botanical name covering some of the wide floral variation exhibited by the species, which was first found by Puissant growing wild in Normandy, France, c. 1884, and later named and described by him. Syn. 'Andreanus'.

A range of flower colour cultivars is available.

Europe. Naturalised in cooler regions of SA, NSW, Vic and Tas, and an invasive weed in woodland.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Fabaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Updated by: Val Stajsic, February 2019