Common name: Tough Scurf-pea, Emu-foot, Emu Grass
Cullen tenax (Lindl.) J.W.Grimes APNI* Synonyms: Psoralea tenax Lindl. APNI*
Description: Perennial herb, stems to c. 50 cm long, decumbent, procumbent or ± erect; glabrous or with minute appressed hairs.
Leaves mostly 5–15 cm long, palmately compound, mostly with 5–7 leaflets or sometimes lower leaves 3-foliolate; leaflets usually linear-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, or elliptic to oblanceolate or rarely ± obovate, 1–6 cm long, 2–15 mm wide, margins entire or rarely ± coarsely crenate, both surfaces sparsely hairy and dotted with minute glands; petiole 4–10 cm long; stipules 2–4 mm long.
Inflorescence rachis mostly 2–5 cm long; peduncle usually 5–15 cm long. Calyx 2–3 mm long, finely hairy. Corolla 2–5 mm long, bluish or mauve-purple.
Pods c. 3 mm long, ± glabrous, wrinkled, black.
Flowering: Flowers most of year.
Distribution and occurrence: Widespread, often in forest or on heavy soils in western districts.
NSW subdivisions: NC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: Qld
Leaflets rarely to 7 cm long (P.G. Kodela, 2009, pers. comm.).
Text by G.J. Harden & L. Murray
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 2 (1991)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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