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The Western Australian Herbarium’s collections management system, WAHerb, and DBCA’s flora taxonomic names application, WACensus, have been set to read-only mode since 1 October 2025. Recent taxonomic changes are not currently being reflected in Florabase, herbarium collections, or the census. Due to the rapidly approaching holiday season and associated agency and facility soft closures, along with the substantial work involved in data mapping, cleaning, and verification, the migration to the new collection management software is not expected to occur before 1 March 2026, when a further update will be provided. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

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Swainsona laciniata A.T.Lee

Reference
Contr.New South Wales Natl.Herb. 1:182 (1948)
Conservation Code
Not threatened
Naturalised Status
Native to Western Australia
Name Status
Current

Prostrate or ascending perennial, herb, to 0.15 m high. Fl. purple, Jul to Sep. Silty, saline flats.

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) not 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 24-40. 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) 9, 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 5.5. 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. Calyx Pustules or glands absent, Ribs ribless, Enlarged in fruit not accrescent. Length Calyx length 3.6-4. Indumentum Presence hairy, Type with simple hairs. Corolla Colour patterning uniformly coloured, Colour (when uniformly coloured) purple, Petal claws ( the narrow base of the petals present. Length Corolla length 8-9.2. Indumentum Presence absent. Standard Indumentum glabrous, Auricles not auriculate. Length Standard length 8-9. Wings Auricles not auriculate. Length Wing length 7-7.5. Keel Auricles not auriculate, Indumentum glabrous, Beak not beaked. Length Keel length 7-8. 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 5-7. 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 terete. Length Style length 10.4-11.5. Fruit Type dehiscent (a pod or follicle), Constriction not constricted between the seeds, Compression round in cross-section, Placement stipitate. Length Fruit length 15-18. Width Fruit width 3-4. Indumentum Presence hairy, Indumentum type with simple hairs. Flowering time July, August or September. Distribution Botanical Province Northern or Eremaean, IBRA Bioregion Gascoyne, Little Sandy Desert, Central Ranges, Murchison or Dampierland.

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

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Central Ranges, Dampierland, Gascoyne, Little Sandy Desert, Murchison.
IBRA Subregions
Carnegie, Eastern Murchison, Mann-Musgrave Block, Pindanland, Trainor.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
East Pilbara, Leonora, Ngaanyatjarraku, Wiluna.