76 FABACEAE 
or 1-foliolate (especially at base); rachis to basal 
leaflets 2-16 mm, 2-23 mm overall; leaflets oblong, 
oblong-obovate, oblong-elliptic, linear, oblanceolate, 
narrowly elliptic, or obcordate, 3-32 mm long, 2-17 
mm wide, L/W 0.9-4.4, base rounded, apex rounded 
to emarginate. Inflorescence sparse, to 200 mm long, 
rachis with sparse patent long yellow or white hairs, 
and scattered hooked and septate glandular hairs; 
flowers solitary at bracts; bracts caducous, ovate, c. 
3 mm long. Pedicels 5.5-12 mm long, with numerous 
glandular based secretory hairs and scattered short 
hooked hairs; bracteoles absent. Calyx 1.5-2 mm long, 
with minute hooked and long yellow or white simple 
hairs, + occasional glandular based secretory hairs; 
lobes 5, c. 3 times as long as tube, upper lobes 
Desmodium 
partly connate. Corolla pink-mauve; standard 
scarcely clawed, obovate, c. 4 mm long; wings 
and keel shortly clawed. Pod pale brown to brown, 
straight to slightly curved, 8-17 mm long, 2-3(3.5) 
mm wide, with short hooked hairs, upper margin 
almost entire, lower margin lobed c. 1/5 width of 
pod; articles 1-5, 2.1-3.5 mm long, dehiscing along 
the lower margin, venation transverse. Seeds black, 
olivaceous, or dark brown, shiny, reniform, 2-2.2 mm 
- long, 1.5-1.8 mm wide, hilum eccentric, annulus 
obscure to raised. Flowering: Feb - Apr; fruiting: 
Mar - July. Fig. 22 
Known from the northern NT and Cape York and 
common in the DR. Occurs on a variety of soils in 
open vegetation. 
DUNBARIA Wight & Arn. 
Slender twining vines with white simple hairs, scattered septate glandular hairs and vesicular glands 
throughout, very dense on the undersurface of the leaf and calyx. Stipules persistent, linear. Leaves pinnately 
3-foliolate; stipels persistent, minute; leaflets 3-veined at base. Inflorescence a reduced axillary raceme. Calyx 
lobes 4, upper lobe bifid. Corolla yellow, glabrous; standard clawed, suborbicular, reflexed, auriculate, with a 
thickened transverse callus, deeply emarginate; wings long clawed, lamellate, deeply lobed at base; keel long 
clawed, outer margin connate in upper 1/2, inner margin adnate, apex incurved. Stamens 9+1, 9 connate in 
lower 2/3, upper stamen thickened and geniculate near base; filaments uniform; anthers fixed near base, 
versatile. Ovary shortly hairy and glandular, ovules 5-8; style inflexed, long, upper half glabrous; stigma 
capitate. Pod brown, oblong, flattened, dehiscent, with spongy septa between the seeds, apex apiculate. Seeds 
transverse, suborbicular, flattened; hilum apical; caruncle pale, conspicuous, almost as long as seed, cleft into 
2 parts. 
A genus of c. 15 species found through Asia to northern Australia. In Australia there are 2 species, both in 
the DR. 
1. Terminal leaflet rhomboidal; vesicular glands red...... 
1. Terminal leaflet narrowly lanceolate; vesicular glands golden ...........ssssssssssseeseseseeeseeeeeees 
D. rotundifolia (Lour.) Merr. 
D. conspersa Benth. 
An annual vine. Minutely and thinly pubescent, 
vesicular glands red. Stipules c. 2-4 mm long. Leaf 
rachis to basal leaflets 5-14 mm, 8-23 mm overall; 
leaflets slightly discolorous, rhomboidal, base broadly 
cuneate, apex acute; terminal leaflet 17-36 mm long, 
15-36 mm wide, L/W c. 1; basal leaflets asymmetric, 
11-19 mm long, 12-15 mm wide, L/W 1-1.4. 
Inflorescence a reduced or long slender interrupted 
raceme, l-or 2-flowered; peduncles 0.5-7 mm long; 
bracts persistent, c. 2 mm long. Pedicels 2-4 mm 
long; bracteoles apparently absent. Calyx 4-6 mm 
long; lobes 1-1.6 times as long as tube, upper lobe 
bifid. Standard 8-9 mm long, slightly broader than 
long. Pod slightly curved, 30-42 mm long, 6-7 mm 
D. rotundifolia 
D. singuliflora 
wide. Seeds c. 7, dark brown, 2.5-3.5 mm long, 2.5- 
3.5 mm wide. Flowering: Feb - Apr; fruiting: Mar - 
May. Fig. 23 
Found from India to northern Australia (north Qld 
and the Top End), in open habitats on well drained 
soils. Uncommon in the DR. 
D. singuliflora F.Muell. 
A vine with annual stems and a perennial tuberous 
rootstock. Minutely and closely tomentose, vesicular 
glands golden. Stipules c. 1 mm long. Leaf rachis to 
basal leaflets 3-11 mm, 5-14 mm overall; leaflets 
strongly discolorous, lanceolate, 7-20 mm long, 
2-7.5 mm wide, L/W 1.7-5.5, base rounded, apex 
obtuse to acute; basal leaflets slightly shorter 
