Swainsona elegans

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Swainsona elegans
Swainsona elegans.jpg
Near Peak Hill
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Faboideae
Genus: Swainsona
Species:
S. elegans
Binomial name
Swainsona elegans

Swainsona elegans is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a prostrate or ascending annual with imparipinnate leaves, usually with 7 to 15 egg-shaped or elliptic leaflets, and racemes of up to 15 blue or reddish-purple flowers.

Contents

Description

Swainsona elegans is a prostrate or ascending annual plant that typically grows to a height of up to 25 cm (9.8 in) with stems about 2 mm (0.079 in) in diameter. Its leaves are imparipinnate, up to about 100 mm (3.9 in) long with 7 to 15 egg-shaped or elliptic leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, the lower leaflets 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide. There are variably-shaped stipules more than 10 mm (0.39 in) long at the base of the petiole. The flowers are arranged in racemes mostly 100–200 mm (3.9–7.9 in) of up to 15 on a peduncle 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long, each flower 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long. The sepals are joined at the base, forming a tube about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the sepal lobes about the same length as the tube. The petals are pale blue, dark blue or reddish-purple, the standard petal 10–13 mm (0.39–0.51 in) long and 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) wide, the wings 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in) long, and the keel about 10 mm (0.39 in) long and 3 mm (0.12 in) wide. Flowering occurs from July to October, and the fruit is pod 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide with the remains of the style about 5 mm (0.20 in) long. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Swainsona elegans was first formally described in 1948 by Alma Theodora Lee in Contributions from the New South Wales National Herbarium , from specimens collected east of Carnarvon in 1937. [4] The specific epithet (elegans) means "fine" or "elegant". [5]

Distribution and habitat

This species of pea grows in damp, often salty and on stony, hilly places in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Murchison and Yalgoo bioregions of Western Australia. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Swainsona behriana</i> Species of plant

Swainsona behriana, commonly known as Behr's swainsona, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a prostrate or low-growing perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves usually with 9 to 13 narrowly elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of 2 to 7 purple flowers.

Swainsona acuticarinata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to arid areas of central Australia. It is a prostrate perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with 5 to 11 leaflets, and racemes of purple flowers.

Swainsona adenophylla, commonly known as violet swainson-pea or violet Darling pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to arid areas of central Australia. It is a slender, erect or spreading perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with three to nine linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of pink or purplish flowers in racemes of ten to twenty.

<i>Swainsona affinis</i> Species of legume

Swainsona affinis, commonly known as common poison pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to arid areas of inland Australia. It is a prostrate perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with 7 to 25 broadly elliptic leaflets, and racemes of purple, pink, yellow or white flowers.

<i>Swainsona beasleyana</i> Species of legume

Swainsona beasleyana is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Western Australia. It is a low-lying perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves usually with 15 to 19 egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of 3 to 8 pale or dark purple flowers.

<i>Swainsona brachycarpa</i> Species of plant

Swainsona brachycarpa, commonly known as slender swainson-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a prostrate or ascending perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves usually with 9 to 13 egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic or egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of up to 12 white, purple or dark red flowers.

Swainsona bracteata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves usually with 19 to 25 narrowly egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of about 20 white, pale pink or pale purple flowers.

<i>Swainsona burkei</i> Species of plant endemic to Australia

Swainsona burkei is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. It is a prostrate or perennial subshrub with imparipinnate leaves usually with 5 to 11 oblong to narrowly egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of 5 to 10 purple flowers.

<i>Swainsona burkittii</i> Species of plant endemic to Australia

Swainsona burkittii, commonly known as woolly Darling pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to inland Australia. It is an erect or low-lying perennial with imparipinnate leaves usually with 15 to 30 egg-shaped to more or less circular leaflets, and racemes of up to fifty dark reddish-purple flowers.

Swainsona cadellii is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to inland New South Wales. It is a shrubby perennial with imparipinnate leaves usually with 5 to 15 mostly narrowly egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of 15 to 20 white, pink or purple flowers.

Swainsona calcicola is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to north-western Western Australia. It is a prostrate or ascending, low-growing perennial with many stems, imparipinnate leaves usually with 7 to 11 broadly egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of usually 4 or 5 pink, purple or red flowers.

<i>Swainsona campestris</i> Species of legume

Swainsona campestris is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to arid areas of southern Australia. It is an erect perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with 9 to 11 linear to narrowly lance-shaped leaflets, and racemes of pink or purple flowers in racemes of 5 to 10.

<i>Swainsona campylantha</i> Species of legume

Swainsona campylantha, commonly known as Gilgai Darling pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Australia. It is a low-growing perennial with imparipinnate leaves usually with up to 7 narrowly lance-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaflets, and racemes of 2 to 10 pink to purple flowers.

Swainsona complanata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to northern Western Australia. It is an erect, annual herb with imparipinnate leaves usually with up to 13 narrowly egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of up to 20 mauve to maroon flowers.

Swainsona cornuta is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the west of Western Australia. It is a low-lying, annual or perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves usually with about 7 elliptic leaflets and racemes of 3 to 7 purple flowers.

Swainsona cyclocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to northern inland areas of Australia. It is a prostrate or low-growing annual with imparipinnate leaves usually with up to 7 usually egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of 4 to 16 purple flowers.

Swainsona decurrens is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to northern inland areas of Australia. It is an erect annual with imparipinnate leaves usually with 15 to 19 narrowly elliptical leaflets and racemes of 20 to 30 red or purple flowers.

Swainsona dictyocarpa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to central areas of South Australia. It is a small erect perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with 3 to 7 elliptic leaflets, and racemes of purple flowers in racemes of 2 to 6.

Swainsona disjuncta is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to widely separated areas of central Australia. It is a prostrate perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with 3 to 9 egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of purple, pink or red flowers in racemes of 3 to 15.

Swainsona ecallosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to central Western Australia. It is an erect, single-stemmed, annual herb with imparipinnate leaves with about 17 narrowly egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of purple flowers in racemes of up to 20.

References

  1. ↑ "Swainsona elegans". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  2. 1 2 Thompson, Joy (1993). "A revision of the genus Swainsona (Fabaceae)". Telopea. 5 (3): 475–476. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Swainsona elegans". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  4. ↑ "Swainsona elegans". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 190. ISBN   9780958034180.
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