Alysicarpus FABACEAE 49 
18 Pods not strongly constricted between seeds, without a sterile terminal 
segment; calyx lobes not overlapping, <6-nerved at CEMITE .......ceeseseeeseeteeeeeteneeeeteneees 2 
1. Pods strongly constricted between seeds, with a sterile terminal segment; 
calyx lobes overlapping at base, >6-nerved at centre 
2. Leaflets <8 times longer than wide; flowers usually red, standard <5 mm long .............+ 
2. Leaflets >8 times longer than wide; flowers orange, standard >5 mm long ..........sceee+ 
pe eresreetstranercerterreststrrrrestieett erst, 3 
A. vaginalis 
A. longifolius 
Bs Articles of fruit <2.3 mm long; calyx lobes <1.3 mm wide, 7-9-nerved at centre, 
bases overlapping Slightly .........cscesesseeseeseeseetenes 
A. glumaceus 
sh Articles of fruit >2.3 mm long; calyx lobes >1.3 mm wide, >10-nerved at centre, 
bases overlapping strongly .......ccssceseseseseseeeeeeees 
A. glumaceus (Vahl) DC. 
An erect or occasionally procumbent annual herb 
to 1 m tall. Vegetative parts glabrate with minute 
hooked and long adpressed simple hairs on the under 
sides of the leaves, glabrous above. Stipules 4-10 mm 
long. Leaf rachis 2-4 mm long; leaflets elliptic at base 
of plant, grading to linear-lanceolate at apex, (11)32- 
150 mm long, 2-7 mm wide, L/W (1.5)5-33(52), base 
rounded to subcordate, apex acute to obtuse. 
Inflorescence to 370 mm long; indumentum of 
yellowish resinous simple hairs, septate glandular 
hairs, hooked hairs and colleters; bracts 4-6 mm long, 
c. 2.5 mm wide. Pedicels 3-8 mm long. Calyx tube 
1-2 mm long, lobes narrowly elliptic, (2.5)4-5.5 mm 
long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, 7-9-nerved at centre, acute, 
bases overlapping slightly, exceeding 2-3 lowest 
articles. Corolla yellow to yellow-orange; standard 
4.5-6(8) mm long. Ovules 3-5. Pod becoming dark 
grey with age, constricted between articles, 4-10 mm 
long, 1.8-2.2 mm wide, densely covered with colleters 
and minute hooked hairs, transversely rugose, with a 
Sterile apical segment; articles 1-5, 1.6-2.2 mm long. 
Seeds yellow-brown, elliptic to rhomboidal, 1.2-2 mm 
long, 1.2-1.8 mm wide. Flowering and fruiting: 
Feb - July. Fig. 16 
Found in tropical Africa, India and Australia. 
Widespread on Cape York and in the Top End. 
Relatively common in the DR, usually on well 
drained, often skeletal soils in Eucalyptus dominated 
communities. 
A. longifolius (Sprengel) Wight & Arn. 
An erect perennial shrub to 2 m tall, with annual 
above ground parts. Stems and leaf undersurfaces with 
short hyaline hooked and longer adpressed hairs, 
leaves glabrous above. Stipules 8-32 mm long. 
Leaf rachis 3-10 mm long; /eaflets linear-lanceolate, 
38-130 mm long, 2.5-9 mm wide, L/W 9.5-25, base 
rounded to subcordate, apex acute. Floral stems, bracts 
and calyx puberulous, the latter also ciliate. 
Inflorescence to 300 mm long; all parts except corolla 
A. rugosus 
densely covered with hooked hairs, and also scattered 
simple and septate glandular hairs; bracts 5-7 mm 
long, c. 2.5 mm wide. Pedicels 1-3 mm long. Calyx 
tube 1.5-2 mm long, lobes lanceolate to narrowly 
elliptic, 3-5 mm long, 0.5-1 mm wide, 5-nerved at 
centre, acute, bases not overlapping, just exceeding 
lowest article. Corolla orange; standard 6-9 mm long. 
Pod subcylindrical, not constricted between articles, 
13-17 mm long, 2.2-3 mm wide, slightly and 
irregularly wrinkled; articles 3-5, 3-3.5 mm long. 
Seeds not seen. Flowering and fruiting: Dec - Apr or 
later. Fig. 16 
Occurs in India and in tropical Australia on Cape 
York and in the Top End. Apparently rare in the NT, 
in Eucalypt savanna and grassland. 
A. rugosus (Willd.) DC. 
An erect or occasionally procumbent annual herb 
to 1(2) m tall. Most parts with minute hooked and 
strigose simple hairs, the inflorescence also with 
resinous colleters, leaves often glabrous above, pods 
with minute hooked hairs and colleters. Stipules 5-13 
mm long. Leaf rachis 3-6 mm long; leaflets narrowly 
elliptic, lanceolate or rarely linear, 21-77(118) mm 
long, 2.5-16(23) mm wide, L/W 2.1-16, base rounded 
to subcordate, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescence to 
400 mm long; bracts 5-7 mm long, c. 2.5 mm wide. 
Pedicels 3-6 mm long. Calyx tube 1-3 mm long; lobes 
lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 5-9 mm long, 1.5-2 
mm wide, 12-18-nerved at centre, acute, bases 
overlapping, exceeding 2 lowest articles. Standard 
yellow, 5-6 mm long; wings and keel orange, red or 
purple. Pod becoming dark grey with age, constricted 
between articles, 11-15 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, 
coarsely and transversely rugose, with a sterile apical 
segment; articles 1-5, 2.5-3 mm long. Seeds 
olivaceous, yellow-brown or red-brown, ellipsoid to 
oblong, 2.5-3.8 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide. Flowering 
and fruiting: Mar - Aug. Fig. 16 
Found in tropical Africa, India, Malesia and 
tropical Australia. Widespread in parts of Qld and 
