[2] It was first described in 1926 by Anton Schindler from four specimens: two collected at Port Darwin (one by Schomburgk, one by Foelsche) and the others from north Queensland .

[3][4] Alysicarpus schomburgkii is an annual herb growing to a height of 1 m. The leaves have minute hooked and long simple hairs on their undersides but are without a covering on the upper surface.

The leaf rachis is 2–4 mm long and the leaflets are elliptic at the base of the plant, changing to linear-and spear shaped at the apex.

The pod becomes dark grey with age, and is constricted between the seeds, and densely covered with colleters and minute hooked hairs.

[1] In Western Australia it is found in the IBRA regions of Central Kimberley, Dampierland, and Northern Kimberley,[5] while in the Northern Territory it is found in the IBRA regions of Arnhem Coast, Arnhem Plateau, Cape York Peninsula, Central Arnhem, Daly Basin, Darwin Coastal, Gulf Fall and Uplands, Northern Kimberley, Ord Victoria Plain, Pine Creek, Tiwi Cobourg, and Victoria Bonaparte.