Mucuna FABACEAE 93 
Leaf rachis to basal leaflets 31-105 mm, 41-130 mm 
overall; stipels setulose, c. 2 mm long; leaflets 67- 
140 mm long, 33-78 mm wide, L/W 1.6-2.7, base 
rounded, apex acute to acuminate. Inflorescence 
umbelliform, to 320 mm long. Pedicels 18-35 mm 
long, flattened, slender; bracteoles subtending and 
enclosing bud, lanceolate-ovate, 9-11 mm long. 
Rachis, peduncles and pedicels densely covered with 
short simple hairs; bracteoles, calyx and pod densely 
covered with short simple hairs and ferruginous long, 
stout, irritant hairs. Calyx cupular, 8.5-13 mm long; 
lobes 4-5, subequal, 3-4 mm long; tube c-9 mm long. 
Corolla white or cream to pale green, with scattered 
long stiff simple hairs, petals shortly clawed; standard 
oblanceolate, 20-27 mm long; wings 30-35 mm long, 
convoluted in lower half, basal lobe prominent, 
thickened; keel straight, c. 43 mm long, adhering 
strongly and minutely fringed along both margins, 
lobed. Staminal filaments alternately long and short, 
free parts stout; short anthers bearded. Ovules 4-5; 
style incurved; hairy at base, slightly thickened 
towards apex. Pod brown to almost black, shortly 
stipitate, 85-150 mm long, 37-57 mm wide, ultimately 
dehiscent, winged along margins. Seeds 2-5, brown 
or mottled grey-brown, 18-23 mm _ diam.; 
ecarunculate, hilum extending 3/4 way around outer 
margin. Flowering: Feb - Oct; fruiting: Apr - Dec. 
Fig. 27 
Found through the Old World tropics including 
India, China, Malesia and Polynesia. Widespread in 
tropical Australia, extending as far south as the north 
coast of NSW. Grows in the canopies of coastal vine 
forests and occasionally inland. 
M. reptans Verdc. 
A prostrate vine with annual aerial parts. All 
parts except corolla and pod with a dense indumentum 
of adpressed white simple hairs, sparse on the upper 
leaf surface; ferruginous long stout irritant hairs 
dense on pod, scattered on calyx. Leaf rachis to basal 
leaflets 75-183 mm, 88-215 mm overall; stipels 
filiform, 3-4 mm long; leaflets 80-120 mm long, 
44-83 mm wide, L/W 1.1-1.9, base rounded, apex 
obtuse, mucronate. Inflorescence racemose, of 5-8 
flowers, to 300 mm long. Pedicels 5-9 mm long. 
Calyx 5-12 mm long; lobes 4, subequal, upper 
emarginate, 6-7 mm long; tube 6-7 mm long. Corolla 
white-yellow, pale green, dark red or purple and white; 
standard not clawed, ovate, 30-36 mm long; wings 
not clawed, 45-60 mm long, adhering by lamellate 
patches on basal lobes; keel incurved, 55-70 mm 
long, upper margins adhering and fringed with fine 
hairs, lower margins connate. Staminal filaments 
equal, alternately thin with long anthers and thick 
with short anthers, filaments of the latter dilated 
towards apex; anthers glabrous. Ovules c. 6; style 
hairy in lower 2/3. Pod red-brown, straight or 
falcate, 60-95 mm long, 12-14 mm wide, margins not 
winged. Seeds 3-6, red-brown, 9-10 mm long, 7-9 mm 
wide; caruncle-c. 8 mim long, flattened, eccentric; 
hilum obscured by caruncle. Flowering: Jan - Apr; 
fruiting: Apr. Fig. 27 
Occurs in the Kimberley Region and. western 
Top End, usually on fine textured soils in savanna. 
In the DR, found only between Batchelor and the 
Daly R. aw 
PONGAMIA Vent. 
A genus of 2 species occurring in tropical Asia and the Pacific. One species occurs in Australia, in the NT 
and Qld. 
P. pinnata (L.) Pierre 
A deciduous tree to 10 m, sometimes taller, 
flowering with the flush of new leaves; bark 
mostly smooth, grey. Stems and leaves glabrous or 
sparsely rusty hairy with simple hairs. Stipules 
caducous. Leaves imparipinnate; rachis to basal 
leaflets 15-47 mm, 67-130 mm overall; stipels absent; 
leaflets in 2-3 pairs, elliptic, ovate or rarely obovate, 
55-125 mm long, 35-94 mm wide, L/W 1.3-1.9: base 
rounded, apex obtuse or shortly acuminate. 
Inflorescence of axillary racemes, to 160 mm long, 
flowers solitary or in 2’s or 3’s; rusty-hairy throughout 
(including all parts of corolla); bracts minute. Pedicels 
3-6 mm long; bracteoles minute, persistent, just below 
the calyx. Calyx brown, cupular, c. 3 mm long; 
scarcely lobed. Corolla pale pink-mauve or white, 
petals clawed; standard + broad as long, c. 10 mm 
long, with infolded basal auricles, apex strongly 
emarginate; keel petals joined in midsection. Stamens 
9+1; filaments alternately long and short; anthers 
uniform, dorsifixed and versatile. Ovary densely 
rusty-hairy; ovules 2; style glabrous above, curved; 
stigma minute. Pod brown, elliptic or + dimidiate and 
slightly curved, 30-55 mm long, 15-25 mm wide, 
woody, indehiscent, glabrous. Seeds 1-2, light to 
dark brown, elliptic, c. 18 mm long, 11 mm wide; 
