Skip to main content

Swainsona affinis (A.T.Lee) Joy Thomps.

Reference
Telopea 4: 2 (1990)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Prostrate perennial, herb, 0.05-0.3 m high. Fl. purple-pink-blue/purple-red, Jul to Oct. Red sand, red sandy loam. Margins of salt lakes, claypans, sand dunes, creeklines.

Grazyna Paczkowska, Descriptive Catalogue, 5 August 1996

Scientific Description

Genus Swainsona. Form prostrate,spreading or scrambling. Habit herb. Stems Indumentum glabrous, Pustules or glands absent, Striation (stems ribbed) striate, Cross section terete, Spiny on any part of plant not spiny. Leaves or phylloclades Presence clearly present, Position alternate, Leaves compound, Leaves or phylloclade continuous with stem continuous with stem, Cross section of leaf or leaflet flat with flat margins, Margins of leaf or leaflet entire, Tuberculate tubercles absent, Pustules or glands absent. Length Leaf length 40-60. Width (entire leaves only) Leaf width NaN (?). Scale leaves length mm long NaN (?). Leaflets Number more than three, Number of leaflets (if more than three) 19-23, Arrangement pinnately arranged. Terminal leaflet Presence present, Stalk stalked. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type simple. Stipules Presence present and persistent to older leaves, Glands with glands (?) or without glands (?), Ribs ribbed (?) or ribless (?). Length Stipule length NaN (?). Bracteoles Presence present and persistent, Indumentum hairy, Striation not striate. Length Bracteole length 3-3.6. Pedicel Presence present, Indumentum hairy. Length Pedicel length 2-3. Calyx Pustules or glands absent, Ribs ribless, Enlarged in fruit not accrescent. Length Calyx length 5-6.5. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type with simple hairs. Corolla Colour patterning multicoloured, Colour (when multicoloured - choose one colour) red or purple, Colour (when multicoloured - choose a second colour) red or purple, Petal claws ( the narrow base of the petals present. Length Corolla length 12-14. Indumentum Presence absent. Standard Indumentum glabrous, Auricles not auriculate. Length Standard length 10-13. Wings Auricles not auriculate. Length Wing length 7.5-9. Keel Auricles not auriculate, Indumentum glabrous, Beak beaked (?) or not beaked (?). Length Keel length 9-10.5. Stamens Number ten. Anthers anther length NaN (?), Position at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short). Filaments Fusion united in an open sheath with one free stamen. Length Filament length 7-9. Ovary Placement stipitate. Indumentum Presence glabrous. Style Indumentum glabrous, Bearded ( with a tuft of hairs at apex ) bearded (with a tuft of hairs at apex), Apex terete. Length Style length 11-12. Fruit Type dehiscent (a pod or follicle), Constriction not constricted between the seeds, Compression round in cross-section, Placement stipitate, Beak not beaked. Length Fruit length NaN (?). Width Fruit width NaN (?). Indumentum Presence glabrous. Flowering time July, August, September or October. Distribution Botanical Province Eremaean or South-West, IBRA Bioregion Gascoyne, Central Ranges, Yalgoo, Murchison, Great Victorian Desert, Coolgardie, Nullarbor, Avon Wheatbelt or Mallee.

C. Hollister and K.R. Thiele, 17 April 2024

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Avon Wheatbelt, Central Ranges, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Great Victoria Desert, Mallee, Murchison, Nullarbor, Tanami, Yalgoo.
IBRA Subregions
Augustus, Carlisle, Carnegie, Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Mallee, Eastern Murchison, Edel, Mann-Musgrave Block, Merredin, Nullarbor Plain, Shield, Southern Cross, Tallering, Western Murchison.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Cue, Dundas, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Laverton, Leonora, Meekatharra, Menzies, Mingenew, Mount Magnet, Murchison, Ngaanyatjarraku, Perenjori, Sandstone, Shark Bay, Upper Gascoyne, Wiluna, Yalgoo, Yilgarn.