Tephrosia 
in outline, rachis to basal leaflets 2-17 mm, 30-120 
mm overall; leaflets in (2)4-12 pairs (decreasing in 
number toward the apex of trailing stems); slightly 
discolorous, narrowly elliptic to linear, occasionally 
elliptic, narrowly lanceolate or obovate, 6-37(50) mm 
long, 2-6(9) mm wide, L/W 2.1-16, 2° veins 45-90 
degrees to midrib, 3° veins reticulate to obscure, base 
rounded or attenuate, apex obtuse or acute, mucro 
recurved. Inflorescences terminal or leaf-opposed, 
racemose, to 150 mm long, flowers 1-2 per node, often 
also axillary and fasciculate; bracts persistent, similar 
to stipules, c. 3 mm long. Pedicels 3-5 mm long. Calyx 
3-5 mm long, lobes acuminate. Corolla orange; 
standard 8-10 mm long. Pod pale brown, linear, + 
straight, flattened, raised over seeds, 25-27 mm long, 
c. 5 mm wide, margin slightly thickened, beak central, 
deflexed. Seeds 5-6, centres < pod width apart, brown 
to olivaceous, elliptic, c. 4 mm long, 3 mm wide; 
ecarunculate. Flowering: Aug - Apr; fruiting: Nov - 
Apr. Fig. 31 
Endemic to the Top End and relatively common in 
the DR. Found in Eucalypt savanna, often on lateritic 
soils. 
T. remotiflora F.Muell. ex Benth. 
T. subnuda Domin 
An erect annual herb or procumbent to erect 
perennial subshrub 20-80 cm tall. Indumentum of 
white to hyaline hairs, adpressed, rarely patent on 
vegetative and inflorescence parts, the leaves rarely 
sericeous above, pods tomentose. Stipules setaceous, 
2-6 mm long. Leaves oblong in outline; rachis to 
basal leaflets 0-3(6) mm (in some forms to 21 mm), 
16-41(85) mm overall; leaflets in (1)6-9(12) pairs, 
discolorous, narrowly obovate, cuneate, oblanceolate 
or narrowly elliptic, 8-25(37) mm long, 2-7(10) mm 
wide, L/W 1.5-5(7.5), 2° veins red or green below, 
closely spaced, c. 30 degrees to midrib, 3° veins 
obscure, base acute, apex emarginate, truncate or 
obtuse. Inflorescences terminal and leaf-opposed, 
racemose, unbranched, to 200 mm long, flowers 1-2 
per node; bracts persistent, setaceous, 1-3 mm long. 
Pedicels 2-4 mm long. Calyx 2-3 mm long. Corolla 
purple, red or pink, rarely almost white; standard 4-6 
mm long. Pod yellowish, pale brown or olivaceous, 
linear, curved toward apex, turgid, 20-35 mm long, 
3-4 mm wide, beak marginal, straight. Seeds 5-8, 
centres > pod width apart, mottled pale and dark 
brown and olivaceous, oblong, 2.2-3 mm long, 1.8-2 
mm wide; caruncle obscure. Flowering: Feb - May 
or in dry season on new growth after fire; fruiting: 
Feb - June. Fig. 31 
Relatively common in the DR in Eucalypt savanna 
on sandy surfaced and other well drained soils, also 
on disturbed areas. A widespread, variable species 
FABACEAE 109 
with intergrading forms. An annual form with patent 
hairs on the branchlets and sericeous hairs on the upper 
leaf surfaces can occur on coastal dunes. A perennial 
form with annual above ground parts and longer 
leaflets also occurs in the DR, often growing alongside 
annual forms. This perennial form includes 
T. subnuda which represents a stage of post-fire 
regrowth and has few pairs of leaflets and a greater 
interval from the leaf base to the first pair of leaflets. 
T. simplicifolia F.Muell. ex Benth. 
T. graminifolia F.Muell. ex Benth. 
An erect, perennial subshrub to 0.5 m tall, with 
annual above ground parts. Indumentum of white 
hairs, sparse and adpressed to erect on vegetative 
parts, inflorescence pilose, pod tomentose. Stipules 
often green, narrowly triangular, 2.5-6 mm long. 
Leaves \-foliolate (+ stipellate) to 3-foliolate; rachis 
to basal leaflets (4)12-60 mm, (4)12-68 mm overall, 
leaflets concolorous, linear 52-133 mm long, 1.2-3.5 
mm wide, L/W 35-85, 2° veins prominent below, 
c. 15 degrees to midrib, 3° veins obscure, base cuneate, 
often with a distinct marginal vein, apex acute, mucro 
absent. Inflorescences terminal, racemose, to 200 mm 
long, flowers 1(2) per node; bracts persistent, 2-4 mm 
long, narrowly triangular. Pedicels 7-9 mm long. 
Calyx 2-3 mm long; shallowly lobed. Corolla orange 
or red-mauve; standard 5.5-10 mm long. Pod pale 
brown, + straight, turgid, 37-45 mm long, 3-3.5 mm 
wide, beak marginal, straight or slightly deflexed. 
Seeds 11-13 per pod, centres c. pod width apart, 
Olivaceous, oblong, oblong in cross section, c. 2.1 
mm long, 1.9 mm wide, ecarunculate. Flowering: 
Dec - Apr; fruiting: Apr. Fig. 31 
Widespread in tropical Australia, but uncommon 
in the DR. Occurs in Eucalypt savanna on well drained 
lateritic and red earth soils. Sometimes difficult to 
distinguish from T. leptoclada. 
T. spechtii Pedley 
T. purpurea (L.) Pers. var. axillaris Baker f. 
An erect or multi-stemmed perennial shrub to 1.5 
m tall. All parts with sparse adpressed white hairs, 
vegetative and inflorescence parts often almost 
glabrous or sometimes sericeous, the leaves rarely 
tomentose or sparsely sericeous above. Stipules + 
caducous, setaceous or narrowly triangular, 5-8 mm 
long. Leaf rachis to basal leaflets (5)12-20 mm, 
25-62 mm overall; leaflets in 2-7 pairs, slightly 
discolorous, oblanceolate or elliptic, 10-37 mm long, 
4-10 mm wide, L/W 2.9-6, 2° veins not prominent, 
c. 30-45 degrees to midrib, 5-9 pairs, 3° veins obscure, 
undersurface appearing wrinkled, base acute to 
attenuate, apex obtuse or retuse, occasionally truncate. 
Inflorescences of axillary fascicles and/or terminal 
