AusTraits

Desmodium varians

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Fabaceae

Taxonomy: Desmodium varians (Labill.) G.Don

Synonyms: 7 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Desmodium dietrichiae Domin (taxonomic synonym)
  • Desmodium spartioides DC. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Desmodium varians (Labill.) G.Don var. varians (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Desmodium varians var. angustifolia Benth. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Desmodium varians var. typicum Domin (taxonomic synonym)
  • Hedysarum varians Labill. (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Meibomia varians (Labill.) Kuntze (nomenclatural synonym)

Distribution (APC): Qld, NSW, ACT, Vic, Tas

Profiles: APC, Flora of Australia, ALA, iNaturalist, NSW Flora, Vic Flora, ATRP

Traits

Top source datasets: Carey_2003 (3), Cheal_2017 (8), Clarke_2015 (3), Collette_2021 (1), Doherty_2021 (2), Fonseca_2000 (9), Hughes_1992 (4), Kew_2019_5 (1), Mesaglio_2022 (1), Mokany_2008 (43), NHNSW_2014_2 (12), NSWFRD_2014 (11), OReillyNugent_2018 (7), RBGV_2022 (4), RBGV_2023 (16), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Soliveres_2012 (2), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), White_2020 (19), Williams_2011 (9). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 65 traits from 162 records in 21 datasets.

Traits by category (click to expand). For categorical traits, the values are listed. For numerical traits, the mean and range are shown.

fire response
  • resprouting_capacity (categorical): resprouts (5) [sources: Carey_2003; Cheal_2017; Clarke_2015; Doherty_2021; NSWFRD_2014]
  • post_fire_recruitment (categorical): post_fire_recruitment (2); post_fire_recruitment_absent (1) [sources: Carey_2003; Cheal_2017; Clarke_2015]
flower morphology
  • flower_colour (categorical): pink (1); white_cream (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_length (numerical): 13.5 mm (7-20 mm) [sources: RBGV_2023]
  • fruit_type (categorical): legume (2) [sources: RBGV_2023; Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): dehiscent (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 184.55 mm2 (81.1-424 mm2) [sources: Fonseca_2000; Mokany_2008]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 24.33 mm (5-54 mm) [sources: Mokany_2008; NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 14.56 mm (5-32.5 mm) [sources: Fonseca_2000; Mokany_2008; NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_dry_mass (numerical): 8.74 mg (3-26.7 mg) [sources: Fonseca_2000; Mokany_2008]
  • petiole_length (numerical): 1.8 cm (0.6-3 cm) [sources: RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 51.15 g/m2 (22.68-101.35 g/m2) [sources: Fonseca_2000; Mokany_2008; OReillyNugent_2018]
  • leaf_mass_fraction (numerical): 0.16 g/g (0.13-0.19 g/g) [sources: Mokany_2008]
  • leaf_dry_matter_content (numerical): 0.26 g/g (0.24-0.3 g/g) [sources: Mokany_2008]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): elliptical (1); narrowly_elliptical (1); obovate (1); orbicular (1); widely_obovate (1) [sources: RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_margin (categorical): entire (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • leaf_compoundness (categorical): compound (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_inclination_angle (numerical): 41.67 deg (25-53 deg) [sources: Mokany_2008]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (1) [sources: RBGV_2023]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (3) [sources: Mokany_2008; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): climber (1); herb (5); subshrub (1); tree (1) [sources: Fonseca_2000; Hughes_1992; NSWFRD_2014; RBGV_2022; Soliveres_2012; Wenk_2022; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • life_form (categorical): geophyte (1); hemicryptophyte (1) [sources: Mokany_2008; Williams_2011]
  • life_history (categorical): perennial (3) [sources: Cheal_2017; RBGV_2022; Wenk_2023]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): herbaceous (2) [sources: RBGV_2022; Wenk_2022]
  • stem_growth_habit (categorical): climbing (1); decumbent (1); prostrate (3) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2022; White_2020]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): nitrogen_fixer (3) [sources: Mokany_2008; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (1) [sources: White_2020]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): insect (1) [sources: White_2020]
  • pollination_system (categorical): biotic_unspecialised (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): barochory (1); epizoochory (3); myrmecochory (1); zoochory (1) [sources: Kew_2019_5; NSWFRD_2014; Soliveres_2012; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • dispersers (categorical): ants (1); mammals (1) [sources: NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnnnnnnnn (1); nnnynnnnnnnn (1); yynnnnnnnnny (1); yyyyynnnyyyy (1); yyyyyyyyyyyy (1) [sources: Hughes_1992; Mesaglio_2022; NHNSW_2014_2; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • seedbank_location (categorical): soil_seedbank (1) [sources: NSWFRD_2014]
  • serotiny (categorical): not_serotinous (1) [sources: Hughes_1992]
  • seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): long_persistent (1); persistent (2) [sources: Cheal_2017; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • seed_dormancy_class (categorical): physical_dormancy (1) [sources: Collette_2021]
  • vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; White_2020]
  • clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): non_clonal (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): basal_buds (2); basal_stem_buds (1); bud-bearing_root (1) [sources: Carey_2003; Clarke_2015; Doherty_2021; NSWFRD_2014]
whole plant morphology

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
Mokany_20081943K. Mokany and J. Ash. “Are traits measured on pot grown plants representative of those in natural communities?”. Journal of Vegetation Science 19 (2008), pp. 119-126. doi: 10.3170/2007-8-18340.
White_20201919M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
RBGV_2023916VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
NHNSW_2014_21012Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
NSWFRD_20141111B. Kenny, C. Orscheg, E. Tasker, M. A. Gill, and R. Bradstock. NSW Flora Fire Response Database, v2.1. database. NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, 2014.
Fonseca_200059C. R. Fonseca, J. M. Overton, B. Collins, and M. Westoby. “Shifts in trait-combinations along rainfall and phosphorus gradients”. Journal of Ecology 88 (2000), pp. 964-977. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00506.x.
Williams_201199R. P. Duncan, S. E. Clemants, R. T. Corlett, A. K. Hahs, M. A. McCarthy, M. J. McDonnell, M. W. Schwartz, K. Thompson, P. A. Vesk, and N. S. G. Williams. “Plant traits and extinction in urban areas: a meta-analysis of 11 cities”. Global Ecology and Biogeography 20.4 (2011), pp. 509-519. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00633.x.
Cheal_201788D. Cheal. Growth stages and tolerable fire intervals for Victoria's native vegetation data sets. Fire and adaptive management, report no. 84. Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, 2010.
OReillyNugent_201827A. O'Reilly-Nugent, E. Wandrag, C. Catford, B. Gruber, D. Driscoll, and R. Duncan. “Measuring competitive impact: Joint-species modelling of invaded plant communities”. Journal of Ecology 108 (2018), pp. 449-459.
Hughes_199244L. Hughes and B. Rice. “Unpublished data: Traits data for 643 species, Macquarie University”. 1992.
RBGV_202244VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Sjostrom_200644A. Sjöström and C. L. Gross. “Life-history characters and phylogeny are correlated with extinction risk in the Australian angiosperms”. Journal of Biogeography 33.2 (2006), pp. 271-290. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01393.x.
Carey_200333A. C. &. M. E. &. P. H. &. M. L. &. T. M. &. P. O. &. S. S. &. D. S. &. N. Webb. Wildfires in the ACT 2003: Report on Initial Impacts on Natural Ecosystems. Technical Report No. 17. Environment ACT, 2003. url: https://www.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/2539593/17-wildfires-in-the-act-report-on-initial-impacts-on-natural-ecosystems-2003.pdf.
Clarke_201533P. J. Clarke, M. J. Lawes, B. P. Murphy, J. Russell-Smith, C. E. Nano, R. Bradstock, N. J. Enright, J. B. Fontaine, C. R. Gosper, I. Radford, J. J. Midgley, and R. M. Gunton. “A synthesis of postfire recovery traits of woody plants in Australian ecosystems”. Science of The Total Environment 534 (2015), pp. 31-42. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.002.
Doherty_202122M. Doherty. “Fire Severity and Plant Community Dynamics in the Australian Alps, Southeastern New South Wales”. PhD. Australian National University, 2021. url: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/224564.
Soliveres_201222S. Soliveres, D. J. Eldridge, F. Hemmings, and F. T. Maestre. “Nurse plant effects on plant species richness in drylands: The role of grazing, rainfall and species specificity”. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 14 (2012), pp. 402-410. doi: 10.1016/j.ppees.2012.09.003.
Wenk_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Collette_202111J. C. Collette and M. K. J. Ooi. “Distribution of seed dormancy classes across a fire-prone continent: effects of rainfall seasonality and temperature”. Annals of Botany 127.5 (2021), pp. 613-620. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcaa203.
Kew_2019_511Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed dispersal data from the Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Mesaglio_202211T. Mesaglio. “Unpublished data: Comprehensive biodiversity survey of Wategora Reserve and Everley Park along Duck River, western Sydney”. 2022. doi: 10.32942/X29886.
Wenk_202311E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.