Mimosa 
from where it has spread to become one of the worst 
weeds in the NT. 
*M. pudica L. 
Trailing herb to erect shrub to 1.2 m high; 
vegetative parts sparsely to densely pilose with sparse 
prickles on stems. Stipules narrow-triangular, 5-12 
mm long. Pulvinus 2-3 mm long. Leaf rachis 15-42 
mm long with 1-2 pairs of digitate pinnae; glands 
absent; pinnae 20-40 mm long with 10-24 pairs of 
MIMOSACEAE 27 
leaflets; Jeaflets linear to narrowly oblanceolate, 
4-12 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide. Inflorescence of 1-3 
axillary heads on peduncles 15-38 mm long. Heads 
subglobular, 8 mm diam., mauve to pink. Calyx 
minute. Petals 4. Stamens 4. Pods clustered, brown, 
10-16 mm long, c. 4 mm wide, margins conspicuously 
bristly. Seeds 2-3, brown, discoid, 3 mm long. 
Flowering: Dec - Apr; fruiting: June. Fig. 12 
Probably native of South America. An uncommon 
weed in the DR in disturbed habitats. 
NEPTUNIA Lour. 
Aquatic or terrestrial unarmed herbs. Leaves bipinnate. Flowers in globose to ellipsoid solitary axillary 
heads; upper flowers hermaphrodite, lower ones male or neuter. Calyx 5-toothed. Petals 5. Stamens 5 or 10 
(not in Australia), free. Pods clustered, thin to thick, oblong to more or less round, compressed, straight. 
A widely distributed mainly tropical genus of 11 species; 4 species found in the NT with two in the DR. 
[Windler, 1966]. 
1. Plants erect, glabrous; petiolar gland present; pods <25 mm long, 
Indense.clusterseermsretiitrti Tee 
N. major 
1. Plants prostrate, pubescent or rarely glabrous; petiolar gland absent; 
pods >25 mm long, typically only one per head maturing .............cssesessesesseseessseeseseseeees 
N. major (Benth.) Windler 
Annual shrub, 0.6-2 m high, glabrous. Stipules 
mostly caducous, lanceolate, c. 2-3.5 mm long. 
Pulvinus 1-2 mm long. Leaf rachis (7)14-52 mm 
long with 1-3 pairs of pinnae; petiolar gland 
present; pinnae 32-80 mm long, stipels absent, 
15-36 pairs of leaflets per pinnae; leaflets 
linear-oblong, 6-11 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, 
slightly discolorous, sensitive to touch. Heads on 
peduncles 32-50 mm long with 1-2 ovate cordate 
bracts. Calyx 1.8- 2 mm long. Petals 2.8-3.2 mm 
long. Stamens c. 5 mm long, filaments slender, 
flattened, anthers with terminal gland; lower 
sterile flowers with 5 petal-like, yellow staminodes, 
7-9.5 mm long. Pods in dense clusters, broadly 
oblong, flat, 10-20 mm long, 8-11 mm wide, 
glabrous, valves thin. Seeds 1-3, obovoid, 4 mm 
long, 3-4 mm wide. Flowering: unknown; fruiting: 
Jan - June. Fig. 12 
Top End and the Kimberley on black soil. Rare in 
DR on coastal plains. Flowers not seen, description 
taken from Windler. 
N. ‘Darwin’ 
N. ‘Darwin’ 
Prostrate shrub with perennial rootstock and 
typically annual stems to c. 50 cm long; vegetative 
parts hairy throughout, rarely glabrous. Stipules 
persistent, lanceolate, acuminate, 3-6.5 mm long. 
Pulvinus 2-3 mm long. Leaf rachis 6-26(75) mm 
long with 1-4(6) pairs of pinnae; glands absent; 
pinnae 10-40 mm long, stipels present, 10-24 
pairs of leaflets per pinnae; leaflets linear-oblong, 
4-7 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, slightly discolorous, 
sensitive to touch. Heads yellow, on peduncles 
21-55 mm long with 1-2 subulate, caducous bracts. 
Calyx 3 mm long. Corolla 4 mm long. Stamens 
6 mm long; filaments filiform; anthers with red 
stipitate apical gland; lower sterile flowers with 
5 flattened staminodes, 6-9 mm long. Pods 1, 
rarely 2 per head, oblong, flat, 25-35 mm long, 
8-10 mm wide, glabrous, valves thin. Seeds 
5-8, discoid, 3.5 mm diam. Flowering: throughout the 
year; fruiting: Jan - Apr. Fig. 12 
Known from widespread localities in the Top 
End on sandy or lateritic soils. 
