©Anne Hoggett: Stylosanthes sp at Lizard Island airstrip. This morph has a scrambling habit and relatively short, hairy leaves.
©Anne Hoggett: Stylosanthes sp at Lizard Island airstrip. Scrambling habit with short, hairy leaves.
©Anne Hoggett: Stylosanthes sp at Lizard Island Research Station with longer, smooth leaves and more erect habit (5 Mar 2019).
Colours
Distinguishing features
An introduced pasture plant that varies in habit from erect (up to about 1 m high) to prostrate and scrambling. Narrow stems. Leaves trifoliate. Leaflets vary from oval to lanceolate and may or may not be hairy. Yellow and orange pea-flowers form on hairy terminal and axillary inflorescences.
Two species in this genus have been recorded reliably from Lizard Island; Stylosanthes humilis and Stylosanthes guianensis (herbarium specimens; Atlas of Living Australia accessed 25 May 2019). Stylosanthes hamata has also been recorded (Colvill et al, 2004) but without the backup of specimens.
LIFG contributors do not currently have the expertise to allocate species names in this genus. It is possible that more than one species is recorded as Stylosanthes sp.
Size
- From 5 cm to 100 cm (height)
Synonyms
Distribution
Web resources
References
- Colvill, A., M. Ahmet, S. Clag and B. Haigh (2004). Lizard Island fauna and flora sampling report.Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. LIRS catalog number 10067.