Prmarily a coastal species, indigenous to the Northern half of the North Island, growing to 20m, one or more trunks, branches spreading to upright, no divaricating juvenile stage. Leaves to 150mm long, 25-55 leaflets slightly overlapping and get smaller towards the tip, hairy, straight and appressed. Early flowering from July, up to 11 yellow flowers in a bunch.

Native to Lord Howe Island, part of the largely submerged Zealandia, on which NZ sits. Small stocky evergreen tree with a lignotuber at ground level. Pinnate leaves 5-10cm long larger than S. tetraptera. Larger yellow flowers July to Sept. 7-12cm pods contain smooth orange-brown seeds. Wood is hard and durable. vergreen, with upright vase shaped slightly arching branches. Larger leaves and much larger flowers. Hardy, slower than most kowhai. Suitable for a small garden. Known by the name 'Gnome'.

Can grow to 25m usually a single trunk, branches weeping and spreading. Adult leaflets 30-50, not crowded or overlapping, of similar size, with an obvious petiolule, moderately to sparcely hairy, hairs straight and appressed. Leaves >30mm, leaflet pairs >6. Juveniles divaricating and interlacing branching. Can be deciduous in a cold climate. To 7 Yellow flowers in a bunch in Spring attract tuis and bellbirds, pigeons feed on the leaves.

Seedlings from a selected bushy plant flowering from mid March through to early September, a mass of honey bees in June. A good screening plant.