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Service Notice

The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system and census were set to read-only mode on 1 October 2025. Taxonomic updates published since this time are not being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or Western Australia’s taxonomic names census (Nomos). Conservation listings displayed on Florabase may also be out of date. Please refer to DBCA’s Threatened species and communities webpage for the most recent Threatened and Priority Flora List, noting that recent taxonomic updates are similarly not included. Our database migration is moving to a staging phase. We thank you for your patience as we ensure the integrity of our biodiversity data, develop new workflows, and train staff to use the new systems. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

The notice period started at 12:00 pm on Wednesday, 1 October 2025 +08:00 and will end at 12:00 pm on Friday, 1 January 2027 +08:00.

Abrus precatorius L. subsp. precatorius

Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Climber, seeds are extremely toxic. Fl. purple-violet, Jan or Mar to Jul or Nov to Dec. Sand, sandstone, limestone, basalt. Coastal areas, creeklines.

Grazyna Paczkowska, Descriptive Catalogue, 23 May 1996
Image

Scientific Description

Genus Abrus. Form prostrate,spreading or scrambling. Stems Indumentum hairy, Pustules or glands absent, Cross section terete, Spiny on any part of plant not spiny. Leaves or phylloclades Presence clearly present, Position alternate, Leaves compound, Leaves or phylloclade continuous with stem not continuous with stem, Cross section of leaf or leaflet flat with flat margins, Margins of leaf or leaflet entire, Pustules or glands absent. Length Leaf length 65-105. Leaflets Number more than three, Number of leaflets (if more than three) 19-37, Arrangement pinnately arranged. Terminal leaflet Presence present, Stalk stalked. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type simple. Stipules Presence present and persistent to older leaves, Glands without glands, Ribs ribless. Length Stipule length 1.5-3. Bracteoles Presence present and persistent. Calyx Pustules or glands absent, Ribs ribless, Enlarged in fruit not accrescent. Length Calyx length 2-3. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type with simple hairs. Corolla Colour patterning multicoloured, Colour (when multicoloured - choose one colour) pink, Colour (when multicoloured - choose a second colour) purple, Petal claws ( the narrow base of the petals present. Indumentum Presence absent. Standard Indumentum glabrous, Auricles not auriculate. Length Standard length 8-10. Wings Auricles not auriculate. Length Wing length 7-8. Stamens Number nine. Filaments Fusion united in an open sheath. Fruit Constriction constricted between the seeds, Compression flat or compressed, Placement sessile or subsessile, Beak not beaked. Length Fruit length 35-40. Width Fruit width 13-15. Indumentum Presence hairy, Indumentum type with simple hairs. Flowering time January, March, April, May, June, July, November or December. Distribution Botanical Province Northern, IBRA Bioregion Northern Kimberley, Victoria Bonaparte, Central Kimberley, Ord-Victorian-Plain or Dampierland.

C. Hollister and K.R. Thiele, 17 April 2024

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Central Kimberley, Dampierland, Darwin Coastal, Northern Kimberley, Ord Victoria Plain, Victoria Bonaparte.
IBRA Subregions
Berkeley, Fitzroy Trough, Keep, Mitchell, Mount Eliza, Pindanland, Purnululu.
IMCRA Regions
Cambridge-Bonaparte, Canning, Kimberley.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Broome, Derby-West Kimberley, Halls Creek, Wyndham-East Kimberley.