Swainsona sericea

Swainsona sericea commonly known as silky Swainson-pea or silky pea,[2] is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is a small perennial with greyish-green leaves, purple flowers and grows in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.

Silky Swainson-pea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Swainsona
Species:
S. sericea
Binomial name
Swainsona sericea
Leaves

Description

Swainsona sericea is an upright or prostrate, sparsely branched perennial plant about 10 cm (3.9 in) high with stems thickly covered in soft hairs. The leaves are greyish-green, up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long, narrowly oblong, 5-13 leaflets to 1.5 cm (0.59 in) long, densely hairy, pointed at the tip, apex leaflet considerably longer, upper and lower surfaces more or less covered with short, soft, silky hairs and stipules 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) long. The raceme usually consists of 2-8 pea-shaped flowers 7–11 mm (0.28–0.43 in) long, corolla purple, covered with soft hairs, keel 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long, standard petal broadly egg-shaped, 8–14 mm (0.31–0.55 in) long, 8–14 mm (0.31–0.55 in) wide and the flowers stems about 5 mm (0.20 in) long. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruit is an oval-shaped pod, hairy, up to 1.7 cm (0.67 in) long and ending in a point.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

This species was described in 1948 by Alma Theodora Lee and given the name Swainsona oreboides subsp. sericea.[5] In 1968 H.Eichler changed the name to Swainsona sericea from an unpublished description by J.M.Black and the description was published in Supplement to J.M.Black's Flora of South Australia.[6][7] The specific epithet (sericea) means "silky".[8]

Distribution and habitat

Silky Swanson-pea grows in grassland and grassy woodland in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.[3]

References
  1. "Swainsona sericea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  2. Thompson, Joy; James, T.A. "Swainsona sericea". PlantNET-NSW Flora online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  3. Stajsic, Val. "Swainsona sericea". VICFLORA-Flora of Victoria. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  4. Sharp, Sarah; Rehwinkel, Rainer; Mallinson, Dave; Eddy, David (2015). Woodland Flora a Field Guide for the Southern Tableland (NSW & ACT). Canberra: Horizons Print Management. ISBN 9780994495808.
  5. "Swainsona oroboides subsp. sericea". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  6. Eichler, H. (1968). Supplement to J.M.Black's Flora of South Australia (PDF). Adelaide: W.L Hawes Govt. Printer. p. 193.
  7. "Swainsona sericea". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  8. George, A.S; Sharr, F.A (2021). Western Australian Plant Names and their meanings (4th ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables. p. 315. ISBN 9780958034197.
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