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Swainsona oroboides Benth.
Variable Swainsona

Reference
Fl.Austral. 2:222 (1864)
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/red-brown, Jun to Sep. Red loam or sand, occasionally in clay. Floodplains, creek beds, halophytic flats.

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 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 not 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 20-90. 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) 5-9, 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 4-6. Bracteoles Presence present and persistent, Indumentum hairy, Striation not striate. Length Bracteole length 0.7-1. Pedicel Presence present, Indumentum hairy. Length Pedicel length 2. Calyx Pustules or glands absent, Ribs ribless, Enlarged in fruit not accrescent. Length Calyx length 4-5.2. 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 9-11.5. Indumentum Presence absent. Standard Indumentum glabrous, Auricles not auriculate. Length Standard length 8-9. Wings Auricles auriculate. Length Wing length 7-8. Keel Auricles auriculate, Indumentum glabrous, Beak beaked (?) or not beaked (?). Length Keel length 9-10.5. Stamens Number ten. Anthers anther length 0.6-1.2, Position at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short). Filaments Fusion united in an open sheath with one free stamen. Length Filament length 5-7.5. 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 10.5-12. Fruit Type dehiscent (a pod or follicle), Constriction not constricted between the seeds, Compression round in cross-section, Placement stipitate. Length Fruit length NaN (?). Width Fruit width NaN (?). Indumentum Presence hairy (?) or glabrous (?), Indumentum type with simple hairs (?) or with glandular hairs (?). Flowering time June, July, August or September. Distribution Botanical Province Eremaean, IBRA Bioregion Pilbara, Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Central Ranges, Yalgoo, Murchison, Great Victorian Desert or Coolgardie.

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

Distribution

IBRA Regions
Central Ranges, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Gibson Desert, Great Victoria Desert, Murchison, Nullarbor, Pilbara, Yalgoo.
IBRA Subregions
Augustus, Carnegie, Eastern Goldfield, Eastern Murchison, Hamersley, Lateritic Plain, Mann-Musgrave Block, Shield, Tallering, Western Murchison.
Local Government Areas (LGAs)
East Pilbara, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Laverton, Leonora, Meekatharra, Ngaanyatjarraku, Sandstone, Wiluna, Yalgoo.