Alysicarpus vaginalis (L.) DC.

Scientific Description

Prostrate,spreading or scrambling, herb. Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, compound, alternate, not continuous with stem, 13-70 mm long, 6-65 mm wide, hairy or glabrous, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 6-9.5 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 2-2.5 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles absent. Calyx 3-5.5 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla multicoloured, mostly pink, red or purple, with some pink, red or purple spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 3.5-4 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 3-4 mm long, not auriculate, keel 4-4.5 mm long, not beaked, not auriculate, glabrous. Fruit indehiscent and splitting into sections (schizocarps), 15-20 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, stipitate or sessile or subsessile, constricted between the seeds, flat or compressed, glabrous, not beaked. Flowers in July. Occurs in the Northern Botanical Province, in the Northern Kimberley, Victoria Bonaparte and Central Kimberley IBRA regions.