104 FABACEAE Tephrosia 
above, with a small mucro. Inflorescence usually an interrupted terminal or axillary pseudoraceme, rarely of 
axillary fascicles or crowded pseudoracemes; bracts present; bracteoles absent. Calyx 5-lobed, lobes connate 
at base, usually subequal, the lower longest and the upper 2 sometimes more connate. Corolla white, red to 
purple, orange or yellow; petals clawed; standard nearly orbicular to reniform, reflexed, sericeous on back; 
wings obliquely ovate or oblong; keel incurved. Stamens 9+1; anthers uniform. Ovary sessile, usually with 
many ovules; style incurved or inflexed, often flattened, glabrous or hairy; stigma terminal, linear or capitate, 
penicillate or glabrous. Pod usually linear to oblong with 1-12 seeds, continuous within or with thin septa 
between the seeds; usually turgid at maturity, sometimes flattened, apex beaked with persistent style base 
which may be straight, bent upwards or deflexed and is usually in line with upper suture (marginal) but 
sometimes is between the sutures (central). Seeds longitudinal in pod, usually oblong or lenticular and elliptic 
in cross-section; usually ecarunculate. 
A pantropical and subtropical genus of more than 400 species. About 80 species occur in Australia, with c. 
40 in the NT and 16 in the DR. Species of the genus Tephrosia commonly contain the compounds deguelin, 
rotenone and tephrosin (Bosman & de Haas, 1983) and are widely used by Aborigines in the NT for poisoning 
fish ( e.g. Wightman & Smith 1989). 
[ee Leaflets:>20 timesilonger, than, wide menecisessstes rcs crsrtene torent Terre Tan 2 
[See tcaticts.<20 times longer thantwidemetenetecsrtretttistctereectiret tenner Tt Tite 4 
2. Inflorescences <60 mm long, few-flowered, rachis filifOrmM ..........cscssesesseseseseseesesessesesees T. filipes 
2. Inflorescences >60 mm long, many-flowered, rachis slender but not filiform 3 
ah. Weafletst] (=3)slinearneneere crerteerrretere retiree cee irre tet ee entre ere tre tr aT ee T. simplicifolia 
zh. Deaflets>/afiliformersccestes erts-rettiieettte tect ie iinetltihate eee eterna T. nematophylla 
4. Leaves simple or 1-3-foliolate and leaflets >3 mm Wide .........cessesessssssssssesesesesesescseseeeees 5 
4. Leaflets >6 OR if 1-3-foliolate then leaflets <3 MM Wide .........sesesecsssesesteseeteseseeeseseesesesee 7 
5. Flowers predominantly in axillary fascicles; leaves usually 1-foliolate ..........c.csccsesseeseees T. coriacea 
5. Flowers predominantly in pseudoracemes; leaves simple or 3-foliolate .........c.cesesssceses0e0s 6 
6. Stems and leaf undersurfaces usually sparsely adpressed hairy; 
leaves usuallyssimplegcemcrscesstiersrsetsteetertscycotecctieresrsexttitisttesoe rete RTT Tee TTT! T. lamproloboides 
6. Stems and leaf undersurfaces densely white-sericeous; leaves 3-foliolate T. ‘Hayes Ck’ 
7. Terminal leaflet of well developed leaves 2-5 times as long as laterals; 
Slenderalinual Puemstersstessscststeesnsmerta tects ae Tee TTT ETT eT eT T. juncea 
7. Terminal leaflet 1-1.5 times as long as laterals; perennials or bushy annuals ................... 8 
8. More than 20 pairs of leaflets on well developed leaves ........c.ccccsesssesesesesesesssesessssescscsesees T. polyzyga 
8. Less than 20 pairs of leaflets on well developed leaves .........c.cscsssssssscsesessssssesseseseescetsessese 9 
9M ee Ueaflets usually: >loimmiwidehirentcestistesiisccncritcssiieiiittercmecetttitirne T. oblongata 
9 Mem ccatlets <15 mmiwiderscrstcssscctrisecrececceriesesptrctett ssirititicessescteiteeeeet rete eT TTT 10 
10. Inflorescence a crowded terminal pseudoraceme .........c.sssssssesesesesesesesesesesessceccsssescscsesseees T. phaeosperma 
10. Inflorescence an interrupted pseudoraceme or flowers in 
axillarysfascicles ofel=4flowerspscsserrsnteresstset tr rsesreesterer ieee teen TT TTTe 11 
11% Flowers-orangenrarelyyellowesneeteerrretteei ti titestitsectiattenersscorthienietet reine terre 12 
11s Flowers: purplesmauye/or: magenta teccscsicrstiscsssresssctecesessesthseressuetiastbeseattessttrese tere renseni pitts 15 
12. Pods >5 mm wide; plants with several to many ellipsoidal root tubers; 
Stipules patent to recurved; seeds ecarunculate 00... cesssesesssesessesesesessesesnsseeeneeeeneneees T. porrecta 
12. Pods <5 mm wide; plants lacking root tubers (+ a thickened tap root); 
stipulesterect;:seedstr Carunculate ds resrestinccesssstrsietpieettiterestisestansatetinssesseeestciensresrestettel 13 
13. Indumentum yellow-brown; seeds with a flattened, green caruncle ........s.sesesseseseeseeseeees . ‘Katherine Gorge’ 
13. Indumentum white or hyaline; seeds ecarunculate ..........ccccccesescsesesessseesescscscscscsssveraveees 14 
