Three leaflets

122. Calapo

Calapogonium mucunoides

   

A very hairy vine that has almost round leaves. The seed pods are narrow, flattened and about 15 cm long.

Calopo is most common from Ingham north but can occasionally be found in other districts. It competes with cane and if left unchecked will smother it and pull it down.

 


 

123. Centro

Centrosema pubescens

 

A twining perennial. In pure stands it forms a mat about 50 cm deep. The plant has trifoliate leaves with the leaflets measuring 2 cm long and 1 to 1.5 cm wide. They are dark green in colour and, like the stems, are slightly hairy. The mauve flowers are large and shaped like those of a common pea. The pods are 7.5 to 15 cm long, flat and dark brown when ripe and hold up to 20 brownish-black seeds.

Centro is an established pasture plant and can be troublesome in cane fields if not controlled in the young stages. This plant is common in most districts and, in some, is widespread as a weed of roadside banks and other undisturbed land.


 

124. Rattlepods

Crotalaria spp.

 

There are more than 30 species of Rattlepod. Some are native, others are introduced species which have become naturalised. Many were introduced as pasture legumes. All are characterised by having yellow pea-like flowers and pods with loose seeds which rattle when ripe pods are shaken.

Some species are known to contain alkaloids which are poisonous to stock. Illustrated here is Trefoil Rattlepod (Crotalaria medicaginea).


   

125. Streaked rattlepod

Crotalaria pallida

   

An annual with upright, branched, stiff stems growing 60 to 120 cm tall. Leaves have three leaflets which are pale to dark green and become yellowish with age. Leaflets are usually up to 8 cm long and 4 cm wide and rounded at the tip. Flowers are in long, unbranched sprays ranging in length from 15 to 30 cm. They are held stiffly from the ends of branches. Individual flowers are about 12 mm long, pea-shaped with yellow petals that have dark lines. Seed pods are about 5 cm long and when ripe the seeds rattle inside the dry pods. There are thirty to forty, straw coloured to light brown, seeds in each pod.

Streaked Rattlepod is a common weed of headlands, roadsides and pastures. It may be a problem weed in young plant cane.

   

   

126. Cusara pea

Crotalaria zanzibarica

   

An erect, branched annual or short lived perennial growing to about 2 m high. Leaves are alternate and on short stalks about 3 cm long. They are green above, paler underneath and composed of three leaflets which are elliptical to lance-shaped and about 7 cm long and 2 cm wide. Flower spikes are held stiffly at the ends of branches with pea-shaped flowers about 15 mm long. These are yellow with red stripes and purple blotches near the base of some of the petals. Pods are about 3 cm long and 7 mm wide and have a large number of orange coloured seeds.

Cusara Pea is found in all districts and is common along road-sides and on headlands.

   

   

127. Desmodium

Desmodium heterocarpon

   

A herb or small shrub growing occasionally to 3 m but usually much smaller. Plants are very hairy when young becoming almost hairless with age. Most leaves have three leaflets on a leaf stalk about 3 cm long. Leaves are broadly elliptical to oval and rounded at the tip. The flowers are covered by bracts at first with emerging, white through to pink to purple petals. Pods are characteristically indented around the seeds and covered with hairs.

Desmodium is widespread, at least through central and south-ern Queensland. It inhabits open forest, often close to the coast on sandy ground and is occasionally found on the margins of cane fields.

   

   

128. Florida beggar weed

Desmodium tortuosum

   

An erect, sometimes straggling, annual or perennial growing to 1 m or more. Leaves made up of three, hairy leaflets, elliptical in shape and varying in size up to 1 1 cm by 4.5 cm. Flower heads are long spikes with many flowers, each is carried on a short stalk. Flowers are white, pink or pale blue and about 4 mm long. Pods are deeply indented around the seeds and covered with hairs.

Florida Beggar Weed is widespread and common in some localities. It is usually found growing along roadsides and on areas of waste ground. It sometimes invades cane fields but is only a minor weed.

   

   

129. Silver-leaf desmodium

Desmodium uncinatum

   

A robust, trailing or scrambling plant with stems to 1.5 m and covered with hairs. Leaves are made up of 3 leaflets, each oval-shaped with a pointed tip. They are about 6 cm long and 1.5 cm broad with a characteristic longitudinal, silver stripe on the upper surface. Flower spikes are at the end of the stalks or carried in the leaf joints. Flowers are pea-shaped, pink to blue and about 1 cm long. Pods are indented around the seeds and covered with hairs.

Silver-leaf Desmodium is widespread but uncommon. It is found on waste ground and growing in light forest, sometimes on road-sides and the margins of cane fields.

   

   

130. Blood vine

Kennedia rubicunda

   

A prostrate twiner with hairless stems. Leaves comprise three leaflets which are somewhat elongated, oval-shaped and with a pointed tip. They are 3 to 10 cm long and 2 to 5 cm wide and softly hairy on both sides. Flowers are on spikes, pea-shaped and dark red. Pods are 7 to 10 cm by 1 cm and covered in silky hairs.

This specimen was found in NSW where it had invaded a cane crop. Also called Red Kennedy Pea.

   

   

131. Siratro

Macroptilium atropurpureum

   

A twining perennial with hairy, alternate leaves composed of three leaflets. Leaflets are pointed at the tip, sometimes one or two-lobed and rounded to heart-shaped at the base. They are up to 6 cm long and carried on a leaf stalk up to 8 cm long. The leaflets are dark green above, paler beneath and are usually very hairy. Flowers are dark purple, pea-shaped, about 1.5 cm long and clustered at the ends of the flower stalks. Pods are straight and narrow up to 9 cm long and 4 mm wide, spliltting along both sides when ripe.

Siratro is a pasture legume which has become naturalised in all districts. It is found commonly along fencelines and on banks. It is capable of forming a dense mat over cane, smothering it and pulling it down.

   

   

132. Phasey bean

Macroptilium lathyroides

   

An erect, slightly-branched, woody-based plant growing about 1.5 m but often to less than 1 m. The plant will twine when in contact with cane stalks. Leaves are alternate and composed of 3 lance-shaped leaflets which are about 4 to 7 cm long and 1 to 2 cm wide. These are characteristically broadened at the rounded bases. Flowers are dark purple, about 2 cm long and pea-shaped. They are carried in groups on long stalks up to 20 cm long extending from the leaf forks. The pods are about 10 cm long and 0.4 cm wide, stand out from the stem and twist after opening. Seeds are about 3 mm long, dark brown and mottled.

Phasey bean is widespread and common in all districts. It is occasionally a troublesome weed in cane fields and is usually found on headlands, banks and around roadside culverts.

   

   

133. Creepiong oxalis

Oxalis corniculata

   

A prostrate or semi-erect, much-branched perennial with a long woody taproot. Stems of mature plants root at intervals. Leaves are alternate, pale green and composed of three small shamrock-like leaflets at the end of the slender stem. Leaflets are small and wedge-shaped with a notch at the end. Flowers are yellow, funnel-shaped and about 8 mm across and are clustered at the end of thin stems which arise in the leaf joints. Seed capsules are held erect and are about 15 mm long and 3 mm wide.

Creeping Oxalis is widespread and common. Because of its small size it does not compete with cane but is found on the margins of cane fields and on roadsides and other grassy areas.

   

   

134. Pink shamrocks

Oxalis corymbosa

   

A perennial with a water-white, short, thick taproot and a crown of small, white to brown bulbils. Stems and leaves have a sharp, acrid flavour. Leaves consists of three dull green, soft, shamrock-like leaflets at the top of a soft stem about 5 to 15 cm long. Leaflets are broad, wedge-shaped, rounded at the end and with a shallow notch at the tip. The flower stalks are slender, upright with a small bunch of funnel-shaped, lavender-pink flowers at the top. Flowers are about 1.5 cm across.

Pink Shamrocks are widespread and, although mainly a weed of gardens, are sometimes found on the margins of cane fields.

   

   

135. Townsville lucerne

Stylosanthes humilis

   

A prostrate to partly-erect, woody-based plant growing to 50 cm. Stem are reddish-green in colour and lightly hairy. Rooting from the nodes is common. Leaves are made up of three, pointed leaflets about 3 cm long and connected to the main stem about every 8 to 10 cm along its length. Flowers are yellow, pea-like and usually in groups of 3 or 4.

Townsville Lucerne is common in most districts, particularly on roadsides. It is a pasture plant of tropical America which has become naturalised.

   

   

136. White clover

Trifolium repens

   

A creeping perennial, rooting at the joints where the stem touches the ground. The shamrock-like leaves are on long stalks and have three leaflets. Leaflets are wedge-shaped at the base, rounded at the tip and usually with a white inverted v-shaped marking near the base. Flowers are crowded into spherical heads on long stalks. They are made up of elongated, pea-shaped, white to pale pink flowers. Seed pods are oblong, up to 5 mm long and contain 3 to 6 seeds.

White Clover is an important pasture species which has become naturalised in the southern districts. It is also found in lawns, on roadsides and the headlands of cane fields.