Hovea montana, commonly known as alpine hovea, mountain hovea or alpine rusty-pods,[1] is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, and is endemic to Australia. It is a small shrub with narrow leaves and purple pea flowers.
Hovea montana is a small, low growing shrub usually high and in diameter. The stems and branches are thickly covered with soft, loosely flattened hairs. The leaves are narrow-elliptic shaped, mostly long and wide, with a depressed midrib, the margins curved downward. The upper surface smooth and hairless, the lower surface is thickly covered with fine, soft hairs. The purple-blue or white flowers are borne singly or in pairs, about long on a peduncle about long. The calyx is long with rusty-coloured, short, matted hairs. Flowering occurs from October to December and the fruit is a pod about long and densely covered with rusty-coloured hairs.[2] [3]
Hovea montana was first formally described in 1988 by J.H.Ross and the description was published in Muelleria.[4] The specific epithet (montana) refers to mountains or coming from mountains.[5]
Alpine rusty-pods is mostly found in open heath, woodlands and grassy situations at higher altitudes in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.[2] [3]