106 FABACEAE Tephrosia 
width apart, pale brown with dark mottles, 
suborbicular to subcylindrical, 2-2.5 mm long, 1.5-2 
mm wide; caruncle white, annular, c. 0.25 mm diam. 
Flowering: June; fruiting: Apr - June. Fig. 30 
In Qld but relatively rare in the NT and in the DR 
known only from north east of Pine Creek. Occurs in 
Eucalypt savanna on a variety of soils. A second 
variety, var. latifolia, has broader leaflets. 
T. juncea R.Br. ex Benth. 
A slender, erect annual shrub to 1 m tall. All parts 
with adpressed white hairs, sometimes sericeous on 
inflorescence parts. Stipules setaceous to filiform, 
4-8 mm long. Leaves linear to narrowly triangular in 
outline; rachis to basal leaflets 2-8 mm, 78-198 mm 
overall; leaflets in (6) 16-36 pairs, discolorous, lateral 
leaflets narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, (4)6-12 mm 
long, 1.5-3 mm wide, L/W 2.7-4, terminal leaflet 
linear or narrowly cuneate, 15-35 mm long, 1.3-5 mm 
wide, L/W 5-13.8, 2° veins closely spaced, c. 30 
degrees to midrib, 3° veins obscure, base acute, apex 
retuse, truncate or obtuse. /nflorescences terminal and 
axillary, racemose, unbranched, to 380 mm long, 
flowers 1-2 per node; bracts persistent, setaceous, 1.5- 
2.5 mm long. Pedicels 3-4 mm long. Calyx 2-3 mm 
long, shallowly lobed, lobes broadly triangular. 
Corolla purple, mauve or pink; standard 5-6 mm long. 
Pod stramineous, linear, curved toward apex, turgid, 
50-62 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, beak marginal, straight. 
Seeds 10-13, centres > pod width apart, mottled black, 
brown and white, subcylindrical to oblong, 3-4 mm 
long, 1.5-2 mm wide; ecarunculate. Flowering: Feb - 
June; fruiting: Mar - Sept. Fig. 30 
Widespread in north Qld and the NT. Uncommon 
in the DR where it is found growing on sandy surfaced 
soils in E. tetrodonta forest. 
T. lamproloboides F.Muell. 
A prostrate or erect perennial subshrub to 40 cm 
tall, with annual above ground parts. Vegetative parts 
sparsely adpressed hairy to densely sericeous with 
white hairs. Stipules green, triangular, 2-6 mm long, 
1-2 mm wide, prominently veined. Leaves ground 
hugging or divergent, apparently simple; petioles 2-4 
mm long; blades slightly discolorous, + dorsiventral, 
narrowly elliptic, elliptic, narrowly ovate or ovate, 
35-85 mm long, 10-65 mm wide, L/W 1.2-4(6), 2° 
veins c. 60 degrees to midrib, 3° veins reticulate, base 
rounded, apex obtuse or emarginate. Floral parts 
sericeous with white to golden hairs. Inflorescences 
terminal and leaf-opposed, racemose, 70-400 mm 
long, flowers 1-3 per node; floral bracts persistent, 
similar to stipules, c. 3 mm long. Pedicels 3-5 mm 
long. Calyx 4-5 mm long, shallowly lobed. Corolla 
orange, gland dotted; standard 6-10 mm long. Pod 
pale brown, linear, + straight, flattened, raised over 
seeds, 39-46 mm long, c. 5 mm wide, tomentose with 
white to hyaline hairs, margin slightly thickened, beak 
central, deflexed. Seeds c. 7, not seen. Flowering: 
July - Mar; fruiting: Jan. Fig. 30 
Endemic to the western Top End and relatively 
common in the DR. Found in Eucalypt savanna on a 
variety of well drained soils. 
T. nematophylla F.Muell. 
An erect, perennial shrub to 1.2 m tall, often with 
annual above ground parts. Bark white, often corky 
and deeply furrowed, even on small plants. Vegetative 
and inflorescence parts with sparse adpressed to erect 
white hairs, sometimes dense on inflorescence. 
Stipules narrowly triangular to setaceous, 1-4(7) mm 
long. Leaves obovate in outline; rachis to basal leaflets 
2-8 mm, 35-60(135) mm overall; /eaflets in (3)5-9(20) 
pairs, filiform, canaliculate above (rarely linear and 
flattened in lower leaves), 20-63 mm long, c. 0.5 mm 
wide, L/W 40-120, veins obscure. Inflorescences 
terminal and sometimes also axillary or leaf-opposed, 
racemose, with 1-2 orders of branching, 170-280(450) 
mm long, flowers 1-3 per node; floral bracts 
persistent, 1-2 mm long. Pedicels 2.5-4.5 mm long. 
Calyx 2-3 mm long, shallowly lobed. Corolla yellow, 
rarely orange; standard 5-7.5 mm long. Pod dark grey, 
stiffly coriaceous, + straight, flattened, raised over 
seeds, 32-35 mm long, 3.5-5 mm wide, ?tardily 
dehiscent, tomentose or rarely with adpressed hairs, 
margin thickened, beak central, straight. Seeds 5-9, 
centres > pod width apart, dull, olivaceous, oblong to 
orbicular, 2.2-3 mm long, 2-2.2 mm wide; 
ecarunculate. Flowering: June - Mar; fruiting: Nov - 
Mar. Fig. 30 
Endemic to the Top End of the NT, having a 
fragmented distribution. Locally common in the 
Darwin rural area, also occurring near the Daly R. 
Grows on well drained soils on ridges and on sand. 
Forms from more southerly areas tend to have more 
leaflets. 
T. oblongata R.Br. ex Benth. 
An erect perennial shrub to 1.5 m tall. Most parts 
velutinous to sericeous with yellowish brown, rarely 
grey or white hairs, the leaflets usually hairy above. 
Stipules + persistent, setaceous or narrowly triangular, 
6-10 mm long. Leaf rachis to basal leaflets (6)15- 
25(40) mm, 20-150 mm overall; petiolule 2-4 mm; 
leaflets in (2)4-7(10) pairs, slightly discolorous, 
dorsiventral, elliptic, oblong, or broadly elliptic, rarely 
obovate or lanceolate, 25-95 mm long, 10-40 mm 
