Aeschynomene 
c. | mm wide, L/W 4-7, with 2-3 prominent nerves, 
base oblique, apex obliquely acute and serrulate. 
Inflorescence 11-25 mm long; bracts green, ovate, 
3-5 mm long. Pedicels 5-8 mm long; bracteoles 
lanceolate, c. 5 mm long. Calyx 4 mm long. Corolla 
mauve-brown; standard suborbicular, sessile, c. 6 mm 
long; keel petals adhering by fimbriate margins. Ovary 
hairy on lower margin; ovules c. 8. Pod olivaceous to 
brown, straight, 15-27 mm long, 3-3.5 mm wide, 
glabrous; articles 4-7, with a raised tubercule over 
each seed. Seeds dark brown, c. 2.5 mm long, 2 mm 
wide. Flowering: Feb - May; fruiting: late Wet to early 
Dry season. Fig. 16 
Native to Central and S America and introduced 
to Australia for pasture improvement. Now naturalised 
in the DR in suburban and rural gardens. 
A. aspera L. 
Shrub to 2 m tall; when growing in water lower 
stems inflated, spongy and with adventitious roots. 
Stems glabrous to hispid, hairs dense on upper parts 
and inflorescence axis, calyx and corolla. Stipules 
5-18 mm long, base truncate, almost glabrous. Leaves 
sensitive to touch, rachis 37-215 mm long; leaflets in 
20-54 pairs, narrowly oblong or obovate-oblong, 
4-14 mm long, 1.5-3.5 mm wide, L/W 2.6-5, with 
1 main nerve, apex obtuse or truncate. Inflorescence 
15-70 mm long; bracts green, ovate, 4 mm long, 
cordate. Pedicels 5-11 mm long; bracteoles similar 
to bracts, 2-3 mm long. Calyx 5-8.5 mm long. Corolla 
yellow to dark yellow; standard shortly clawed, 
orbicular, 10-20 mm long; keel petals joined along 
the laciniate lower margins. Ovary hairy; ovules 4-5. 
Pod on a stipe to 20 mm long, olivaceous to brown, 
30-60 mm long, 7-10 mm wide, sparsely hairy; 
articles 3-5, corky, with muricate margins, smooth 
or rugose in the centre. Seeds dark brown, shiny, 
7-8 mm long, 4-5 mm wide; hilum c. 2 mm long. 
Flowering and fruiting: Feb - May. Fig. 16 
In Australia from Cape York and the northern 
NT, but outside Australia as far north as India. 
Relatively uncommon in the DR. Grows on clay 
soils on floodplains, often in standing water up to 
1 m deep. 
A. indica L. 
A shrub to 1.5 m tall. All parts except leaf surfaces 
and flowers sparsely to densely hairy, often viscid. 
Stipules + deciduous, 7-19 mm long, shortly extended 
FABACEAE 47 
below the point of attachment, base truncate, margin 
sparsely serrulate. Leaf rachis 52-145 mm long; 
leaflets in 19-40 pairs, oblong, 2.5-9 mm long, 1-2.6 
mm wide, L/W 2-4.8, punctulate above and below, 
with 1 main nerve, margin entire or sparsely serrulate, 
teeth tipped with hairs, apex obtuse or emarginate. 
Inflorescence to 40 mm long; bracts green, ovate- 
elliptic, c. 4 mm long, cordate. Pedicels 4-5 mm long; 
bracteoles similar to bracts, 2-3 mm long. Calyx 
4.5-8 mm long. Corolla yellow, orange-red in centre; 
standard obovate, 5-12 mm long. Ovary hairy, ovules 
8-10. Pod on a stipe 5-12 mm long, pale brown, 
10-45 mm long, 3.5-5 mm wide, margins thickened, 
sparsely hairy; articles (1)5-8(9), + verrucose over 
seeds. Seeds dark brown to black, c. 4 mm long, 
3 mm wide; hilum c. 1 mm long. Flowering and 
fruiting: Feb - June. Fig. 16 
Pantropical and widespread in tropical and arid 
parts of Australia. Common in the DR. Grows on 
clay soils along water courses, on floodplains and 
around billabongs, often on drying mud or in shallow 
standing water. 
*A, villosa Poiret 
A decumbent or weakly erect herb with stems to 
60 cm long. Vegetative parts with a sparse to dense 
covering of patent hairs or the main stems glabrous. 
Stipules 9-13 mm long. Leaves sometimes sensitive 
to touch, rachis 15-65 mm long; leaflets in 12-20 
pairs, falcate, obovate-oblong or narrowly oblong, 4.5- 
9 mm long, 1.1-2.5 mm wide, L/W 3.3-5, with 3-4(6) 
prominent nerves, apex acute or obtuse, oblique, entire 
or serrulate and ciliate. Inflorescence to 50 mm long; 
bracts ovate, green, 3-5 mm long. Pedicels 5-8 mm 
long; bracteoles lanceolate, 3-4 mm long. 
Calyx 2-4 mm long. Corolla pink or orange; standard 
obovate, 3-5 mm long; lamellae on wings obscure. 
Pod on a stipe 2-3 mm long, pale brown, 5-18 mm 
long, 3.5-4 mm wide, hairy, venation faint; articles 
(1)2-6, dehiscing and breaking up to leave the 
empty, thickened pod margin intact on the plant. 
Seeds olivaceous to dark brown, elliptic in 
cross-section, 2-2.4 mm long, 1.8-2 mm wide; hilum 
minute. Flowering: Mar - June; fruiting: Apr - June. 
Fig. 16 
Native to N and S America and introduced to 
Australia and Malesia. Widespread in tropical 
Australia, but not common in the NT. In the DR, 
known from the Adelaide R. and Darwin rural area. 
Grows in moist situations, often along sandy water 
courses in hilly terrain. 
