Austrodolichos 
5-7 mm wide, tomentose, apex tapering gradually. 
Seeds 9-10, mottled grey, 4.5-5 mm long, 3-3.5 mm 
wide, caruncle c. 2/3 length of seed. Flowering: Jan - 
Mar; fruiting: Mar - May. Fig. 17 
Common from the DR to western Arnhem Land on 
well drained soils in Eucalypt savanna; also on Cape 
York and in the Kimberley. The tuber is eaten by 
Aborigines in the NT (Russell-Smith, 1985). 
FABACEAE 51 
A. ‘Kakadu’ 
Habit and stems as for A. errabundus. Leaf rachis 
to basal leaflets 5-35 mm, 9-44 mm overall; leaflets 
narrowly lanceolate to linear, to 50 mm long, 
entire or more usually with 1-2 linear basal lobes 
to 1/2 length of the leaflet. Other characters as for 
A. errabundus. Fig. 17 
Known only from savanna in Kakadu National Park. 
BOSSIAEA Vent. 
Endemic Australian genus with c. 50 species; 1 species in the NT. 
B. bossiaeoides (A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Court 
Acacia bossiaeoides A.Cunn. ex Benth. 
A shrub to 2 m. Stems glabrous (except for axils 
of bracts), glaucous or green, leafless, flattened 
into deeply lobed cladodes 15-55 mm wide; 
lobes triangular, sometimes spinescent; new growth 
red. Stipules absent. Bracts persistent, in sinus of 
lobes, brown, cordate, 1.5-5 mm long. Inflorescence 
axillary, fasciculate, 1-3-flowered. Pedicels 4-5 mm 
long with persistent bracteoles c. 2 mm long. Calyx 
usually glabrous, unequally lobed, upper 2 about 
5 times longer than lower 3, broad, rounded, + equal 
to length of tube, in bud adhering by marginal 
hairs. Corolla yellow; standard orbicular, 9-15 mm 
long, calli present, apex emarginate, sometimes 
with hairs on the margin and in the sinus; keel 
petals with upper margin hairy; wings lamellate. 
Stamens 10, uniform, all fused, sheath open on one 
side; anthers dorsifixed, versatile. Ovary stipitate, 
glabrous; style glabrous, reflexed; stigma terminal, 
minute. Pod stipitate, glabrous, glaucous, red-brown, 
thin and flattened, oblong or irregularly constricted, 
35-50 mm long, 6-10 mm wide, stiffly chartaceous 
to crustaceous with a fine ridge c. 1 mm from 
edge of upper suture, finely transversely nerved; 
apex acuminate. Seeds 6-8, longitudinal in pod, 
brown to olivaceous, dark spotted, + ellipsoid, 
c. 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide; hilum central; caruncle 
erect-geniculate. Flowering and fruiting: most 
months. Fig. 17 
Occurring across tropical Australia north of 
18°S; known from southern parts of the DR. On 
sandstone or well drained sandy or lateritic soils in 
open vegetation. 
CAJANUS DC. 
Atylosia Wight & Arn. 
Perennial evergreen shrubs or prostrate vines. Variously pubescent with simple hairs. Vesicular glands 
present on vegetative parts and calyx, sometimes sparse or obscure. Stipules and stipels present. Leaves 
coriaceous, pinnately 3-foliolate; leaflets discolorous, with 2 prominent lateral nerves, basal leaflets asymmetric. 
Inflorescence an axillary or terminal raceme or panicle, usually few flowered and with flowers crowded 
towards the distal end; bracts caducous, bracteoles absent. Calyx lobes acute, the upper 2 fused, acuminate. 
Corolla yellow or yellow with red or brown lines; standard glabrous, obovate or + orbicular, usually reflexed, 
auriculate, calli usually present; wings lamellate. Stamens 9+1; filaments alternately long and short; anthers 
uniform, dorsifixed, versatile. Ovary sericeous, ovules 2-9; style thickened above the middle, upper part 
glabrous or slightly hairy, not bearded; stigma terminal, capitate. Pod oblong, flattened, dehiscent, transversely 
depressed and septate between the seeds, apex obtuse. Seeds often mottled, oblique or transverse in pod, 
globular or oblong, flattened; hilum apical; caruncle conspicuous, u-shaped or cleft into 2 parts; funicle small. 
A genus of 32 species occurring mainly in the Old World tropics and with 15 species in Australia. In the NT, 
8 species are present with 4 species in the DR. The Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) is an important food or fodder 
crop in some parts of the world and native species may be an important gene source for the development of 
