H.G. BISHOP¹, B.C. PENGELLY² and D.H. LUDKE³

¹Queensland Department of Primary Industries, P.O. Box 668, Mackay, Qld 4740.
²CSIRO Division of Tropical Crops and Pastures, Samford Pasture Research Station, Samford, Qld 4250.
³9 Ingram Street, Park Avenue, North Rockhampton, Qld 4701— previously Department of Primary Industries, Mackay.

Abstract

A collection of 316 accessions, representing 29 species, of the tropical legume genus Aeschynomene was grown and described at Mackay (21°10´S 140°10´E), Queensland, and classified on morphologic and agronomic attributes. The 2 largest species were A. americana (146 accessions divided into 6 groups) and A. villosa (58 accessions divided into 7 groups). Another 8 species were each represented by fewer than 4 accessions and 10 species each represented by only 1 accession. Most accessions were of American origin and only 10 accessions (from 7 species) were African. The classification techniques successfully divided a large collection of accessions into groups to aid further evaluation. A total of 55 Aeschynomene groups were distinguished. The groups and main characteristics of individual accessions are tabulated. Wide diversity within and between the Aeschynomene species should provide more pasture cultivars from this genus, with accessions potentially adapted to high and low rainfall, seasonally waterlogged and swampy sites, and to heavy grazing