Swainsona lessertiifolia

DC. Coast Swainson-pea
Ann. Sci. Nat. (Paris) sér. 1 4: 99 (1825)
Taxonomic status Accepted
Occurrence status Present
Origin Native
Degree of establishment Native

Erect or ascending perennial herb, to 50 cm tall; stems either densely pubescent with hairs basifixed or sparsely hairy with hairs laterally attached to asymmetrically medifixed. Leaves mostly 6–9 cm long; leaflets 13–21, narrow-elliptic to elliptic, 4–25 mm long, 2–10 mm wide, apices subacute to emarginate, glabrous above, appressed-villous below; stipules 2–7 mm long, hairy outside. Racemes mostly 12–25-flowered; flowers 8–10 mm long; calyx black-hairy, teeth usually shorter than tube; petals purplish, rarely white; standard 10–11 mm long, 8–16 mm wide, broad-ovate, clawed; keel 8–10 mm long, obovate; style tapering, bearded mainly in the upper half; tip straight. Pod obloid or ovoid-obloid, mostly 15–30 mm long, 5–8 mm wide, inflated, covered with tiny white hairs, stipe to c. 3 mm long; seeds up to 20, cordiform, c. 2 mm long, mottled olive-green and black. Flowers mostly Aug.–Jan.

GleP, Brid, VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, CVU, EGL, WPro, OtR, Strz. Also SA, Tas. Locally abundant on sand-hummocks in coastal areas of Victoria but less common east of Wilsons Promontory.

Source:

Jeanes, J.A. (1996). Fabaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., ‍Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae‍, pp. 663–829. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Updated by: Val Stajsic, 15 Nov. 2019
Swainsona lessertiifolia (hero image) Spinning
Swainsona lessertiifolia (distribution map) Spinning