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Swainsona elegans A.T.Lee

Reference
Contr.New South Wales Natl.Herb. 1:189-191 (1948)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Prostrate or ascending annual, herb, 0.07-0.3(-0.5) m high. Fl. purple-blue/purple-red, Jul to Oct. Red sand, loam or clay. Damp, often salty places, stony hilly country.

Amanda Spooner, Descriptive Catalogue, 20 September 1999

Scientific Description

Genus Swainsona. Form prostrate,spreading or scrambling. Habit herb. Stems Indumentum hairy, Pustules or glands absent, Striation (stems ribbed) not striate, Cross section flattened, Spiny on any part of plant not spiny. Leaves or phylloclades Presence clearly present, Position alternate, Leaves compound, Leaves or phylloclade continuous with stem not continuous with stem (?) or continuous with stem (?), Cross section of leaf or leaflet flat with recurved margins, Margins of leaf or leaflet entire, Tuberculate tubercles absent, Pustules or glands absent. Length Leaf length 35-85. 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) 13-17, Arrangement pinnately arranged. Terminal leaflet Presence present, Stalk stalked. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type simple. Stipules Presence present and persistent to older leaves, Glands without glands, Ribs ribless. Length Stipule length 5-10. Bracteoles Presence present and persistent, Indumentum hairy (?) or glabrous (?), Striation striate (?) or not striate (?). Length Bracteole length NaN (?). Pedicel Presence present, Indumentum hairy. Length Pedicel length 2.5-3. Calyx Pustules or glands absent, Ribs ribless, Enlarged in fruit not accrescent. Length Calyx length 6-7.5. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type with simple hairs. Corolla Colour patterning multicoloured, Colour (when multicoloured - choose one colour) red, purple or blue, Colour (when multicoloured - choose a second colour) red, purple or blue, Petal claws ( the narrow base of the petals present. Length Corolla length 13-15.5. Indumentum Presence absent. Standard Indumentum glabrous, Auricles not auriculate. Length Standard length 11-15. Wings Auricles not auriculate. Length Wing length 9-10. Keel Auricles not auriculate, Indumentum glabrous, Beak not beaked. Length Keel length 11-13. Stamens Number ten. Anthers anther length 0.6-0.7, Position at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short). Filaments Fusion united in an open sheath with one free stamen. Length Filament length 7-8.2. Ovary Placement stipitate. Indumentum Presence hairy or glandular. Style Indumentum hairy or glandular towards the base, Bearded ( with a tuft of hairs at apex ) bearded (with a tuft of hairs at apex), Apex flattened at apex. Length Style length 9-15. 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 hairy, Indumentum type with simple hairs. Flowering time July, August, September or October. Distribution Botanical Province Eremaean or South-West, IBRA Bioregion Carnarvon, Yalgoo, Murchison or Avon Wheatbelt.

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

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Murchison, Yalgoo.
IBRA Subregions
Ashburton, Eastern Murchison, Merredin, Tallering, Western Murchison, Wooramel.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
Ashburton, Carnarvon, Cue, Meekatharra, Morawa, Mount Magnet, Mukinbudin, Murchison, Sandstone, Yalgoo.