Desmodium 
FABACEAE 69 
18. Stipules strongly cordate at base; pedicels <2 mmm ION ........cseseseseseseeeesesesesetereteteteenenenenes D. brachypodum 
18. Stipules not as above; pedicels >2 mm Ong ........ssssesseseseseceeseseteseseeeeeeeeteteneaeaeeeeteeeeesessesees 19 
19. Pod with short hooked hairs, rarely with septate glandular hairs ..........:sseseseeseseeeereeeeteeees 20 
19. Pod fringed with either fine, or stout and scale-like simple hairs .........:.cssessseeseteeneneseeeee 21 
20. Articles >3.5 mm long, 3-5 mm wide; on cracking Clay SOUS .......csseseseeeeeeeeeteteteeenenees D. muelleri 
20. Articles <3.5 mm long, usually 2-3 mm wide; on other SOIIS ........cceseseeseseeseseeteteseeteneeeens D. ‘Pine Ck’ 
21. Margin of pod with fine short pointed hairs, face with fine hooked hairs .........::sseee D. ‘Limbunya’ 
21. Margin of pod with white blunt scale-like hairs, face with white simple 
andjminute) hooked [hairSwermtctcttttsstsstarttstttsrtttsesest terttrestrecteteteccttscsctestectsed D. filiforme 
22. Leaflets to 12 mm long; leaf rachis to 12 mm JONG .......cscscseseseseseseeseeeteseneseseeeeeeeeneteneenens D. triflorum 
22. Leaflets >12 mm long; leaf rachis >12 mm long ........ 
D. biarticulatum (L.) FMuell. 
Dicerma biarticulatum (L.) DC. 
An erect multistemmed annual shrub to 1.5 m tall. 
Indumentum sparse to dense on leaves and stems, of 
adpressed, long, stout, white, glandular based hairs 
interspersed with erect minute hooked hairs. Stipules 
perfoliate, free part of leaf rachis arising from the 
sinus of the open side, brown, 10-20 mm long, 
scarious, 3-4 lobed, lobes long acuminate. Leaves 
pinnately (apparently digitately) 3-foliolate; rachis 5- 
15 mm long; leaflets narrowly elliptic, linear, 
narrowly oblanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 13-60 
mm long, 3-10 mm wide, L/W 3.9-10, base cuneate, 
apex acute or apiculate. /nflorescence linear, compact, 
to 170 mm long; flowers obscured by bracts and 
bracteoles, the latter subtending calyx, both persistent, 
similar, olivaceous to brown, subulate, bracts 8-12 
mm long, bracteoles 5-7 mm long, ciliate. Pedicels 
flattened, 1-2.5 mm long. Calyx 3-4 mm long, with 
minute hooked hairs; lobes 4, subequal, + equal to 
tube, upper lobe minutely bifid. Corolla pale pink- 
mauve to white; standard erect, shortly clawed, 6-8 
mm long; wings and keel long-clawed. Upper stamen 
adhering to one side of the sheath in the lower half. 
Ovary densely hirsute; style thickened below the 
stigma. Pod brown, oblong, flattened, moniliform, 7- 
10 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, indumentum dense, hairs 
adpressed white; articles 1-2, 4-5 mm long, venation 
radial. Seeds pale yellow-green, oblong, lenticular, 
1.7-2.5 mm long, 1.3-1.9 mm wide. Flowering: Jan - 
July; fruiting: Feb - July. Fig. 21 
Occurs through the Old World tropics from India 
to tropical Australia. Typically grows on deep sandy 
soils on drainage flats. A second form of this species 
also occurs in the DR. It is smaller in all parts, 
particularly the leaves and is sometimes prostrate. Two 
varieties have been recognised. Both the typical 
variety and var. australiense (Schind.) Meeuwen have 
been recorded for the NT but from the literature it is 
difficult to equate them with the 2 local forms. 
Dendrolobium q.v. 
D. brachypodum A.Gray 
An erect perennial shrub (?with annual aerial parts) 
to 1 m tall. Vegetative parts and calyx densely covered 
with short hooked hairs, occasional straight and 
septate glandular based hairs also present. Foliage and 
stipules in dried specimens often blue-green. Stipules 
spreading, 5-7 mm long, coriaceous, cordate, 
acuminate. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; rachis to 
basal leaflets 15-45 mm, 27-77 mm overall; stipels 
setaceous, c. 3 mm long; leaflets ovate, elliptic, or 
orbicular, base rounded, truncate or cordate, apex 
rounded or emarginate; basal leaflets 25-67 mm long, 
13-43 mm wide, L/W 1.3-1.9; terminal leaflet 32-78 
mm long, 28-62 mm wide, L/W 1.0-1.6. Inflorescence 
interrupted, to 300 mm long; bracts persistent, 3-4 
mm long. Pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; bracteoles absent. 
Calyx c. 2 mm long, minutely papillose; lobes 4, + 
equal to tube, upper lobe bifid. Corolla pink-purple, 
standard not clawed, obovate, 3.5-5 mm long, 4.5 mm 
wide, emarginate; wings and keel shortly clawed, 
shallowly lobed. Pod brown, to 30 mm long, 2.8-3.5 
mm wide, densely covered with hooked hairs and also 
septate glandular based hairs, upper margin shallowly 
lobed, lower deeply lobed; articles 6-7, c. 5 mm long. 
Seeds red-brown, oblong-reniform, 3-3.2 mm long, 
1.7-2 mm wide. Flowering: Mar - June; fruiting: Dec, 
Feb and June. Fig. 21 
Occurs in New Guinea, eastern Australia as far 
south as Victoria and in the NT. Not in the DR but 
occurring in the VRD and around the southern Gulf 
of Carpentaria. Found on dry sites in Acacia shirleyi 
thickets or Eucalypt savanna. 
D. brownii Schindler 
An erect annual herb to 60 cm tall. Vegetative parts 
with patent white or yellow strigose hairs (adpressed 
on leaves) and short hooked hairs. Stipules brown, 3- 
6 mm long, attenuate. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate or 
1-foliolate; rachis to basal leaflets 1-12 mm, 2-17 mm 
