84 FABACEAE 
1. Leaves digitate; leaflets + linear .......s.eeeseeeseeseeeseeees 
1. Leaves pinnate; leaflets lanceolate, elliptic or oblong 
G. hirticaulis Tindale & Craven 
Stems, leaf and inflorescence rachis hirsute with 
patent, stiff, yellowish hairs. Stipules c. 3 mm long. 
Leaves digitately 3-foliolate, rachis 20-70 mm long; 
leaflets dorsiventral, + linear, 42-125 mm long, 2.5-9 
mm wide, L/W 9.7-14(28), margins incurved, 2° veins 
at right angles to midvein, thinly pilose, the hairs 
mostly white. Inflorescence (7)20-55(135) mm long; 
bracts c. 2 mm long. Pedicels c. 1 mm long. Calyx 4- 
6 mm long; lobes 1/3-1/2 total length, hispidulous. 
Corolla white or greyish white; standard 6-8 mm long. 
Ovules 2-3. Aerial pods 9-23 mm long, c. 5 mm wide, 
with white and yellow adpressed hairs; subterranean 
pods c. 8 mm long, c. 5 mm wide. Seeds brown, c. 
3.8 mm long, 2.5 mm wide. Flowering and fruiting: 
Feb - May (subterranean fruit: May). Fig. 24 
An NT endemic occurring in Eucalypt savanna on 
laterite from the Victoria R. to the Alligator Rivers. 
Relatively rare in the DR. 
G. tomentella Hayata 
All parts except corolla patently or retrorsely 
hirsute, the hairs often of 2 lengths, usually yellowish. 
Glycine 
G. hirticaulis 
G. tomentella 
Stipules 3-4 mm long. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; 
rachis to basal leaflets 5-60 mm, 7-72 mm overall, 
rachis above basal leaflets to 12 mm long; /eaflets 
' discolorous, elliptic or ovate, 25-50(70) mm long, 
11-37 mm wide, venation prominent below; basal 
leaflets asymmetric, smaller than the terminal. 
Inflorescence to 100(180) mm long, flowers 
few, towards distal end; rarely floral axis reduced. 
Pedicels c. 2 mm long. Calyx 3.5-5(8) mm long; 
lobes c. 1/2 total length. Corolla mauve (drying 
reddish); standard c. 6(9) mm long. Upper stamen 
with a broad filament. Style short and geniculate. 
Ovules 3-8. Aerial pods brown, 11-27 mm long, 
3-4.5 mm wide; subterranean pods pale coloured, 
7-9 mm long, 3.5-6 mm wide. Seeds 1-5, pale to 
dark brown, squared, 1.8-3 mm diam. Flowering: 
Jan - May; fruiting: Mar - July. Fig. 24 
Known from Papua New Guinea, Philippines, 
Taiwan, and tropical Australia. Uncommon in the 
DR but more frequent in drier regions to as far south 
as Elliott. Occurs on a variety of well drained soils in 
Eucalypt savanna. The tuberous tap root is sometimes 
eaten by aboriginal people (e.g. Mornington Is., 
Arnhem Land). 
GOMPHOLOBIUM Sm. 
A genus of c. 37 species, most endemic to Australia; | extending to Indonesia and another to New Guinea. 
Four species occur in the NT with 1 in the DR. 
G. subulatum Benth. 
Burtonia subulata (Benth.) Benth. 
An erect or spreading evergreen perennial shrub to 
1 m tall. Glabrous throughout except for minute 
simple hairs in the axils, on the leaf rachis and on the 
inside margins of the calyx lobes. Stipules minute. 
Leaves imparipinnate; rachis to basal leaflets 1-7 mm, 
7-32 mm overall; stipels absent; /eaflets in (2)3-5(7) 
pairs, discolorous, linear, narrowly oblanceolate or 
filiform with recurved margins, 6-32 mm long, 0.2-5 
mm wide. /nflorescence terminal, racemose, to 120 
mm long, of 1-several flowers; bracts persistent, 
narrowly triangular to 2.2 mm long. Pedicels 6-11 
mm long; bracteoles minute, central on pedicels. 
Calyx 5-8 mm long; lobes + equal, lanceolate, shortly 
connate at base. Corolla yellow; standard orbicular. 
Stamens 10, free. Ovary shortly stipitate; ovules 2, 
on curved funicles. Pod pale brown, ellipsoid, inflated, 
transversely elongate and rotated so that seeds attach 
at the apex and style at the side, 7-8 mm long, 4.5- 
5 mm wide, smooth. Seeds 1-2, pale brown, reniform, 
c. 2 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, minutely hoary- 
tomentose except for a thin transparent wrinkled 
membrane extending from the hilum around the 
narrow end; funicles c. 3 mm long, thick. Flowering 
and fruiting: most months. Fig. 24 
Associated with sandstone in north western 
Australia (the Kimberley and Top End). In the DR, 
known only from the Tabletop Range in Litchfield 
NP, but otherwise common in the Top End. 
