50 FABACEAE 
the NT. Not yet known from the DR but relatively 
common on the Barkly Tableland and extending 
north to Pine Creek and the Daly R. Usually grows 
on clay soils on plains and along water courses. 
*A. vaginalis (L.) DC. 
A. ovalifolius (Schumach.) J.Leon. 
A prostrate or erect annual herb to 50 cm tall. 
All parts except upper surface of leaves sparsely 
hairy with simple strigose white to yellowish 
hairs and minute hooked hairs, pod glabrate with 
sparse colleters. Stipules triangular to ovate, 
3-14 mm long. Leaf rachis 1-9 mm long; leaflets 
typically obovate-oblong, also suborbicular, 
elliptic, lanceolate or ovate, 7-51(69) mm long, 
5-22(30) mm wide, L/W 1.2-4.9(7), often variegated 
above, base cordate, apex acute to emarginate. 
Inflorescence 40-100 mm long, the internodes 
usually longer than the flowers; bracts 3-4 mm long. 
Pedicels 1-1.5 mm long. Calyx tube c. 1.2 mm long; 
lobes narrowly triangular, c. 3 mm long, 5-7-nerved, 
Alysicarpus 
acuminate, bases not overlapping, + exceeding 
lowest article. Corolla red, purple or rarely 
yellow; standard c. 4 mm long. Pod turning dark 
grey with age, subcylindrical, (4)9-16 mm long, 
c. 2 mm wide, venation raised reticulate; 
articles (1)3-7. Seeds greenish, mottled brown 
or entirely pale brown, oblong, 1.6-2.2 mm long, 
1.2-1.6.mm wide. Flowering and fruiting: Feb - 
June. Fig. 16 Buffalo Clover 
Widespread throughout the Old World tropics 
and introduced to the New World. Probably 
introduced to Australia and now widespread in 
the tropics. Common in the DR, on disturbed 
ground, on floodplain margins and on river banks. 
A useful fodder plant. Some authorities regard 
perennial plants with compact inflorescences 
and prominent reticulation as A. vaginalis sens. 
str. and annual plants with lax inflorescences 
and obscure reticulation as A. ovalifolius. Although 
most NT material falls into A. ovalifolius, some 
plants have inflorescence characters of A. vaginalis. 
AUSTRODOLICHOS Verdc. 
Vines with annual stems and perennial, tuberous roots. Indumentum of simple hairs. Leaves pinnately 
3-foliolate, discolorous. Stipules and stipels persistent. Inflorescence axillary, with 1-2 flowers on a peduncle; 
bracts persistent, linear. Peduncles slender, glandular at the apex; bracteoles persistent, broad, + enveloping 
the calyx. Calyx shallowly 5-lobed, upper pair almost entirely joined and truncate, lower lobes triangular. 
Corolla pink to purple, glabrous, petals clawed; standard obcordate, broad, auriculate, with 2 ridge-like parallel 
calli; wings obscurely lamellate, shortly adherent to keel; keel incurved. Stamens 9+1, upper stamen hooked 
at base; filaments alternately long and short, free parts of filaments expanded below anthers; anthers uniform, 
dorsifixed, versatile. Ovary sericeous; ovules numerous; style glabrous, obscurely branched at stigma. Pod 
linear, straight, flattened, + septate with pithy tissue. Seeds many, longitudinal in pod, oblong; hilum central; 
caruncle well developed, grooved and thickened towards the apex of the seed. 
A genus of 2 species endemic to tropical Australia. The genus is scarcely distinct from the monotypic 
African genus Nesphostylis Verdc. and shows marked affinities with Sphenostylis E.Mey. of Africa and India. 
[Verdcourt, 1970] 
1. Leaflets entire, usually ovate, rhomboidal or elliptic .........ssscssscssessesesneeseeesseesneesneeeneeeneeess A. errabundus 
1. Leaflets usually lobed, linear to narrowly lanceolate .......ssssssssssessessecseeesneesseesseeeneeeseeesneess A. ‘Kakadu’ 
A. errabundus (Scott) Verdc. 
Vigna canescens C.White 
A slender twining vine. Stems softly pilose 
throughout, hairs retrorse on leaf rachises and 
elliptic to narrowly elliptic, basal pair asymmetric, 
20-44 mm long, 5-25 mm wide, L/W 1.3-4, base 
rounded, 3 veined, margin entire, apex acute or 
obtuse, mucro minute. Peduncles axillary or terminal, 
peduncles, leaves thinly pilose. Bracts and calyx thinly 
sericeous. Stipules green, triangular to lanceolate, 
2-4 mm long, prominently nerved. Leaf rachis to basal 
leaflets 15-50 mm, 22-61 mm overall; stipels similar 
to stipules, 1-3 mm long; leaflets ovate, rnomboidal, 
1(2)-flowered, 12-40 mm long; bracts c. 1 mm long, 
widely spaced; pedicel 5 mm long, tomentose, 
bracteoles ovate to elliptic, c. 4.5 mm long, obtuse. 
Calyx 5-5.5 mm long. Corolla mauve-pink, standard 
15-24 mm long. Pod pale brown, 78-93 mm long, 
