72 FABACEAE 
24-72 mm long, 14-38 mm wide, L/W 1.9-2.6; 
terminal leaflet 32-90 mm long, 16-39 mm wide, 
L/W 1.7-2.6. Inflorescence 30-90 mm long, 6-9 
flowered; bracts and bracteoles similar. Pedicels 3-8 
mm long; bracteoles subtending calyx, caducous, 
ovate, c. 2 mm long. Calyx 6-8 mm long; lobes 4, 
reflexed at flowering, unequal, as long as tube, upper 
lobe broader and minutely bifid, lower lobe longer, 
straight. Corolla yellow to white; standard clawed, 
orbicular, 9-12 mm long, emarginate with slightly 
thickened calli; wings clawed, shortly lobed, 
lamellate; keel clawed, shortly lobed, lower margin 
adhering in central 1/3 to 2/3. Upper stamen connate 
to lower half of sheath to form a tube, free above; 
anthers dorsifixed. Ovary densely tomentose; style 
tomentose in lower half. Pod silvery, stiffly 
coriaceous, 20-40 mm long, 3.5-5 mm wide, both 
margins evenly and shallowly constricted; articles 
2-5, 8-9 mm long, thick walled, ?indehiscent, 
venation obscure. Seeds not seen mature, c. 3 mm 
long. Flowering: June - Nov; fruiting: Dec, Jan, 
May. Fig. 21 
Endemic to the Daly River region of the western 
Top End. In the DR, known only from near Oolloo. 
D. pulchellum (L.) Benth. 
Phyllodium pulchellum (L.) Desv. 
An erect annual or short-lived perennial shrub to 2 
m tall. All parts (except corolla) + pilose with long 
simple and/or short hooked secretory hairs. Stipules 
occasionally connate along one margin, 7-14 mm 
long, subulate. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; rachis 
to basal leaflets 9-23 mm, 17-54 mm overall; stipels 
2-4 mm long, subulate; /eaflets ovate or elliptic, base 
rounded to subcordate, margins + undulate, apex acute 
or rounded; basal leaflets 35-70 mm long, 18-55 mm 
wide, L/W 1.2-1.9; terminal leaflet 60-137 mm long, 
30-83 mm wide, L/W 1.3-2.1. Inflorescence racemose 
or paniculate, to 300 mm long, usually less; each 
cluster of flowers subtended by a small leaf of 2 
leaflets and a terminal bristle, the rachis twisted 
through 180°, leaflets + orbicular, 10-20 mm long, 
held erect and enveloping the cluster or in some plants 
the inflorescence leaves absent or poorly developed; 
bracts persistent, 2-2.5 mm long, subulate. Pedicels 
filiform, 2-4 mm long; bracteoles subtending calyx, 
1-1.5 mm long. Calyx 2.5-3 mm long; lobes 4, 1/2 as 
long as tube, upper lobe + bifid. Corolla pale yellow; 
standard not clawed, obovate-elliptic, c. 6 mm long, 
emarginate; wings long clawed, shortly lobed, 
lamellate; keel long clawed, lower margins adhering 
in upper 1/3 to 2/3. Upper stamen adhering to lower 
1/3 of sheath to form a tube, free above; anthers 
dorsifixed. Ovary densely hairy; style strongly curved, 
hairy in lower 1/2. Pod brown, 7-16 mm long, 3.5-4 
Desmodium 
mm wide, with simple hairs, margins equally 
constricted; articles 1-3, 5-6 mm long. Seeds pale 
to dark brown, + reniform, flattened, 3-3.5 mm 
long, 2-2.8 mm wide. Flowering: Feb; fruiting: Apr - 
July. Fig. 22 
Occurs in Asia from India to Taiwan and to northern 
Australia (Cape York and Top End). Occurrences in 
DR scattered. Usually growing in perennially moist 
areas at the edge of monsoon forest or in riparian 
habitats, on various soils. 
*D. scorpiurus (Sw.) Desy. ex DC. 
A prostrate herb, apparently perennial. Stems with 
short and long hooked hairs, septate glandular hairs 
and occasional long strigose hairs. Stipules ovate, 2.5- 
4.5 mm long, with a semicircular green auricle on 
one side, apex attenuate. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; 
rachis to basal leaflets 15-25 mm, 19-31 mm overall; 
stipels c. 2.5 mm long; leaflets elliptic, obovate or 
lanceolate, 15-35 mm long, 8-18 mm wide, L/W 1.8- 
2.2, with long strigose hairs, shorter fine simple hairs 
and long hooked hairs, base cuneate, apex obtuse to 
acute, finely emarginate. Inflorescence sparse, to 140 
mm long, rachis with short hooked hairs, fine straight 
simple hairs and occasional septate glandular hairs; 
flowers 1-3 at bracts; bracts persistent, green, c. 3 
mm long, attenuate. Pedicels 3-7 mm long, with 
septate glandular hairs and short hooked hairs; 
bracteoles absent. Calyx c. 2.5 mm long, with minute 
hooked and long simple strigose hairs and occasional 
septate glandular hairs; lobes 5, 1.5 times as long as 
tube. Corolla pink-mauve; standard 3.5-4 mm long. 
Pod pale brown, curved, 25-32 mm long, 1-1.5 mm 
wide, + densely covered with long hooked hairs and 
occasional septate glandular hairs, upper and lower 
margins equally lobed, constrictions between the 
articles + thickened; articles c. 6, narrowly elliptic, 
4-6 mm long, apparently indehiscent, venation 
longitudinal. Seeds yellow-brown, cylindrical, 2-2.75 
mm long, 1.25-1.6 mm wide. Flowering: May - June; 
fruiting: Oct. Fig. 22 
A widespread tropical weed native to central 
America. In Australia, found in north Qld and rarely 
in the DR where it occurs as a weed of lawns in parts 
of Darwin. 
*D. tortuosum (Sw.) DC. 
An erect annual shrub to 1.2 m tall. Indumentum 
of strigose simple septate glandular based and small 
hooked hairs throughout, the inflorescence branches 
densely hairy and viscid, leaves slightly scabrid. 
Stipules 8-12-mm long, cordate, acuminate. Leaves 
pinnately 3-foliolate; rachis to basal leaflets 8-45 mm, 
