Desmodium 
subulate, 2-5 mm long. Pedicels 2-5 mm long; 
bracteoles absent. Calyx 2-2.5 mm long; lobes 4, 
subequal, + equal to tube, upper lobe broader and 
bifid. Corolla pink-purple, standard not clawed, 
obovate, 4.5-5 mm long; wings clawed, lobed at base; 
keel clawed, lower margin connate. Style strongly 
curved. Pod brown, oblong, flattened, 17-25 mm long, 
2-2.5 mm wide, both margins constricted, the lower 
more deeply; articles 5-8, 2.8-3 mm long. Seeds 
brown, reniform, c. 1.6 mm long, 1.2 mm wide. 
Flowering: Jan - Mar; fruiting: Jan - June, rarely later. 
Fig. 21 
Occurs throughout the Old World tropics including 
tropical Australia and extends to northern NSW. In 
the DR, it grows in riparian habitats and monsoon 
forest margins on a variety of soils. 
D. heterocarpon (L.) DC. var. strigosum Meeuwen 
An erect short-lived perennial shrub to 1.5 m tall, 
resprouting from the rootstock after fire. Vegetative 
parts with strigose adpressed white to yellowish 
hairs. Stipules subulate, 7-14 mm long. Leaves 
pinnately 3-foliolate; rachis to basal leaflets 8-25 mm, 
11-38 mm overall; stipels subulate, apex filiform; 
leaflets elliptic, obovate, or oblanceolate, 10-52 mm 
long, 8-30 mm wide, L/W 1.3-2.4, terminal leaflet 
26-70 mm long, 15-38 mm wide, L/W 1.2-2.3, base 
rounded, apex rounded or emarginate; basal leaflets 
c. 2/3 as long as terminal. /nflorescence crowded, to 
160 mm long; bracts caducous, subulate, 4-5 mm long, 
margin ciliate. Pedicels 3-5 mm long; bracteoles 
absent. Calyx 1.8-2 mm long, with minute septate 
glandular hairs and scattered simple hairs; lobes 4, 
subequal, as long as tube, upper lobe broader and 
minutely bifid. Corolla pink-purple, standard not 
clawed, obovate, 6-8 mm long, emarginate; wings 
clawed, weakly adherent to keel; keel clawed. Ovary 
papillose and with scattered simple hairs, when 
developing also with minute septate glandular hairs. 
Pod brown, persistent, shortly stipitate, oblong, 
flattened, 11-17 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, margins 
fringed with yellowish hooked hairs or with scattered 
hairs throughout, dehiscing along lower sutures and 
between the articles, upper margin entire, lower 
shallowly lobed; articles 3-8, 2.5-3.5 mm long, 
venation transverse. Seeds pale brown or pale yellow, 
+ reniform, 1.5-2 mm long, c. 1.5 mm wide. 
Flowering: Jan - Mar; fruiting: Feb - June, old fruits 
persisting longer. Fig. 21 
Occurs through the Old World tropics to New 
Caledonia and tropical Australia. Relatively 
uncommon in the DR. Typically on perennially moist 
sites in riparian habitats. 
FABACEAE 71 
D. muelleri Benth. 
An erect or spreading annual herb to 40 cm tall. 
Indumentum variable: stems with sparse patent to 
adpressed long white strigose hairs, short hooked hairs 
and occasional glandular based secretory hairs; leaves 
with adpressed long white strigose hairs, glabrous 
above. Stipules brown, 3-5 mm long, attenuate. Leaves 
pinnately 3-foliolate and 1-foliolate; rachis to basal 
leaflets 3-17 mm, 3-30 mm overall; leaflets 
lanceolate, narrowly elliptic, narrowly lanceolate or 
narrowly oblong-elliptic, 11-58 mm long, 3-13 mm 
wide, L/W 2.7-7.5, base rounded, apex acute to 
emarginate. Inflorescence sparse, to 200 mm long, 
rachis with sparse patent to adpressed long white 
strigose hairs, short and minute hooked hairs, and 
occasional glandular based secretory hairs; flowers 
solitary at bracts; bracts caducous, c. 3 mm long. 
Pedicels 5-15 mm long, with glandular based 
secretory. hairs and short hooked hairs; bracteoles 
absent. Calyx 2-3 mm long, with minute hooked and 
long white simple hairs, sometimes with glandular 
based secretory hairs; lobes 5, 0.5-3 times as long as 
tube, upper lobes shortly connate. Corolla pink- 
mauve; standard 3.5-4 mm long; wings and keel 
shortly clawed; style reflexed. Pod yellow-brown, 
straight to falcate, 11-27 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, + 
densely covered with hooked hairs, those of the faces 
long and tubercular based, septate glandular hairs 
sometimes present, upper margin entire, lower margin 
shallowly lobed; articles 2-6, 4-5.5 mm long, 
dehiscing along the lower margin, venation transverse. 
Seeds mottled black and olivaceous, or brown or 
olivaceous, reniform, 2.5-3 mm long, 1.5-2.2 mm 
wide, hilum eccentric, annulus obscure. Flowering: ° 
Feb - July; fruiting: Mar - July. Fig. 21 
Widespread in tropical Australia, invariably on 
cracking clay soils. Relatively common in the Barkly 
Region, but rare in the DR where it is known only 
from the Adelaide River floodplain. Another form has 
leaflets which are broadly elliptic to oblong-elliptic, 
9-37 mm long, 6-22 mm wide and L/W 1.1-1.8. 
D. polyneurum S.T.Blake 
An erect multistemmed shrub to 1 m tall, with 
perennial rootstock and annual aerial parts. All parts 
(except corolla) closely tomentose with + crisped 
simple hairs giving the plant a silvery sheen. Stipules 
caducous, connate along one side to half their length, 
5-7 mm long, leaving a prominent scar. Leaves 
pinnately 3-foliolate; rachis to basal leaflets 6-16 mm, 
13-28 mm overall; stipels c. 2 mm long; leaflets 
dorsiventral, obovate, oblanceolate, elliptic, or 
broadly elliptic, base rounded, apex rounded, acute 
or obtuse; basal leaflets c. 2/3 as long as terminal, 
