Psoralea australasica Schltdl.

Leguminosae

Synonyms

P. patens sensu auct., non Lindl.; P. dietrichiae Domin.

Native verbine; spreading scurf pea (Australia).

An erect or semi-erect perennial, soft-wooded, shrubby legume, 0.5 to 2.5 m tall. Stems usually densely clothed with soft, spreading or downward-turned hairs. Leaves trifoliate. Leaflets ovate, the margins denticulate, glabrous to sparsely hairy above, usually pubescent below, at least on the veins; terminal leaflet 2.5 to 4 cm, sometimes 1.5 to 7.5 x 1.5 to 2 (0.5 to 4) cm. Inflorescence an axillary raceme of almost sessile flowers in groups of three, widely spaced along the 7- to 10- (5- to 23) cm-long rachis. Peduncle 7 to 16 (3 to 23) cm long. Flowers small, 6 to 7 mm long. Corolla pink, purplish or bluish, clearly longer than the calyx. Calyx densely pubescent, the hairs black, brown, grey, white or mixed, thinning with age, the lowest lobe only slightly longer than the others, not as long as the corolla. Pods silky-pilose, less enclosed in the calyx than those of P. patens (Lee, 1980).

Native verbine is found in the central districts of Queensland, Australia, reaching the coast near Rockhampton, and in western districts; in western New South Wales, Australia, with many occurrences of semi-erect plants; and in South Australia from the coast near Adelaide to central Australia, on more alkaline soils or in depressions, rarely on sandy soils and then probably only when these overlie silts. Its main habitat is heavy clay soils.

Lee (1980).

Lee (1980) pointed out that there had been considerable confusion within the P. australasica-patens-pallida complex in the past. P. pallida N.T. Burbidge was not recognized, being considered part of P. eriantha (syn P. patens). P. australasica was referred to as P. patens and P. patens referred to as P. eriantha. References to P. patens prior to Lee (1980) refer essentially to P. australasica. Native verbine has been found in areas subject to flooding, on loam to clay loam soils in western New South Wales. It has been found to be very palatable and a good fodder plant, probably greatly reduced by heavy stocking. Beeston (1978), on the other hand, lists it as of moderately low palatability on the alluvial plains and eucalypt woodland areas around Blackall, central western Queensland. In those areas, it vegetates the overgrazed south-east corner of paddocks on the Mitchell grass (Astrebla spp.) downs where stock graze into the south-east winds. Native verbine is not known to be toxic. It carries nodules (Bowen, 1956).