Swainsona swainsonioides


Swainsona swainsonioides commonly known as downy Swainson-pea or downy Darling pea,[2]is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It is a small perennial herb with purple flowers and grows in eastern states of Australia.

Downy 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. swainsonioides
Binomial name
Swainsona swainsonioides

Description

Swainsona swainsonioides is a perennial, spreading herb up to 50 cm (20 in) high with stems covered densely or sparingly with hairs. The leaves are mostly 3–12 cm (1.2–4.7 in) long, leaflets 11-21, narrow to broadly egg-shaped to elliptic, sometimes lance-shaped, 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) long, 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) wide, apex pointed or rounded, upper surface usually smooth, lower surface with short soft hairs. The raceme has 6-15 purple flowers 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) long, pedicel 1.5–4 mm (0.059–0.157 in) long, calyx more or less smooth. Flowering occurs mostly from May to November and the fruit is an elliptic-oblong shaped pod 15–35 mm (0.59–1.38 in) long, apex rounded, smooth, green to brown and containing up to 40 seeds.[2][3]

Taxonomy

This species was described in 1848 by George Bentham and given the name Cyclogyne swainsonioides.[4] In 1948 J.M.Black changed the name to Swainsona swainsonioides from an unpublished description by A.T.Lee and the description was published in Flora of South Australia.[5]

Distribution and habitat

Downy Swainson-pea grows on black and heavy red soils in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Victoria.[6]

References
  1. "Swainsona swainsonioides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  2. Thompson, Joy; James, T.A. "Swainsona swainsonioides". PlantNET-Flora of New South Wales online. Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  3. Stajsic, Val. "Swainsona swainsonioides". VICFLORA-Flora of Victoria. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  4. "Cyclogyne swainsonioides". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  5. "Swainsona swainsonioides". Australian Plant Name Index.
  6. "Swainsona swainsonioides". eFloraSA-Electronic Flora of South Australia. State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 9 August 2023.


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