Cajanus 
long, 2.5-3 mm wide; caruncle as wide as seed, cleft; 
funicle c. 1 mm long. Flowering: Mar - Sept; fruiting: 
Jan - Sept. Fig. 17 
Found in New Guinea and tropical Australia 
extending to southern Qld. Uncommon in the DR 
where known only from southern parts. Grows on 
sandy or other well drained soils in open habitats. 
C. scarabaeoides (L.) Thouars var. pedunculatus 
(S.Reyn. & Pedley) Maesen 
Atylosia scarabaeoides (L.) Benth. var. pedunculata S.Reyn. & 
Pedley 
A slender prostrate vine with annual stems and 
perennial roots. All parts (except corolla) grey- 
tomentose and often densely covered with golden 
vesicular glands, including the upper leaf surface. 
Stipules persistent, c. 1 mm long. Leaf rachis to basal 
leaflets 9-30 mm, 14-40 mm overall; stipels minute; 
leaflets with rounded base, apex usually obtuse; basal 
leaflets obovate to lanceolate, 17-36 mm long, 10-15 
mm wide, L/W 1.6-2.6, terminal leaflet oblanceolate, 
FABACEAE 3 
obovate, elliptic or lanceolate, 17-60 mm long, 7-28 
mm wide, L/W 1.6-3.5. Inflorescences 1-3 per axil, 
usually arising from the axil of a reduced leaf, of few 
flowers, to 130 mm long; bracts obscure. Pedicels 
2-7 mm long. Calyx 7-8 mm long. Corolla yellow; 
standard 9-11 mm long. Pod pale red-brown, 15-20 
mm long, 9-10 mm wide. Seeds (1)2-3, oblique in 
pod, mottled red-green, oblong, 4-5 mm long, 3-4 mm 
wide; caruncle almost as wide as seed, cleft. 
Flowering: Jan - May; fruiting: Mar - Sept. Fig. 17 
Found throughout the Old World tropics and also 
from the West Indies. Widespread in tropical 
Australia, on sandy or other well drained soils in open 
habitats. Relatively uncommon in the DR. Although 
Maesen records var. scarabaeoides from the NT, we 
have seen only var. pedunculatus. The former has 
flowers almost sessile in the axils (occasionally on a 
rachis to 15 mm long), narrowly oblong pods 
containing 3-6 seeds and long hairs whilst the latter 
has flowers on a rachis >15 mm long and broadly 
oblong pods with 2-3 seeds. 
CALOPOGONIUM Desv. 
A genus of c. 8 species native to tropical regions of the New World, with 1 species introduced widely in the 
Old World. 
*C, mucunoides Desv. 
An annual vine, prostrate or with twining stems. 
All parts (except corolla) pilose with long, soft 
yellow-ferruginous simple hairs. Stipules ovate, 
acuminate, 4-5 mm long. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, 
pulvini of leaf and leaflets conspicuous, rachis to 
basal leaflets 50-140 mm, 62-148 mm overall; stipels 
linear, 3-4 mm; leaflets concolorous, base rounded, 
apex acute; basal leaflets asymmetric, ovate, 35-95 
mm long, 24-90 mm wide, L/W 1-1.4; terminal 
leaflet ovate-elliptic, 34-100 mm long, 25-80 mm 
wide, L/W 1.2-1.5. Inflorescence nodose, axillary, 
racemose, to 135 mm long, with flowers clustered 
towards the distal ends of the rachis; bracts persistent, 
lanceolate, c. 5 mm long. Pedicels c. 15 mm long. 
Calyx 5-6 mm long; deeply 5-lobed, lobes subulate. 
Corolla blue to purple, glabrous; standard 8-9 mm 
long, obovate, auriculate. Stamens (7-9)+1; filaments 
alternately long and short; anthers uniform. Ovary 
sessile, hairy; style filiform or subulate with a line of 
hairs along length; stigma capitate. Pod pale brown, 
linear-oblong, straight, flattened, dehiscent, 26-37 mm 
long, c. 5 mm wide. Seeds 5-7, longitudinal in pod, 
separated by papery septa, pale brown or yellow, 
rhomboid to trapezoid, angular, flattened, c. 3.5 mm 
long, 2.5 mm wide; ecarunculate; hilum small, 
round, central. Flowering: Apr - May; fruiting: June 
- Aug. Fig. 17 Calopo 
A South American species widely introduced 
in tropical areas for pasture improvement. It is now a 
vigorous weed of disturbed places, often smothering 
supporting vegetation. Relatively common in the DR. 
CANAVALIA Adans. 
Vines with perennial trailing or twining stems. Tomentum of simple hairs. Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate, 
concolorous, pulvini of leaves and leaflets conspicuous. Stipules and stipels present. Inflorescence axillary, 
racemose, flowers 2-3 per node, nodes enlarged and glandular, well spaced on the distal half of the 
