Swainsona gracilis

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Swainsona gracilis
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. gracilis
Binomial name
Swainsona gracilis

Swainsona gracilis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate or ascending perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with up to 15 wedge-shaped or narrowly oblong leaflets, and racemes of up to 4 purple or blue flowers.

Contents

Description

Swainsona gracilis is a prostrate or ascending perennial herb that typically grows to a height 30–40 cm (12–16 in) and has several stems 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide, arising from a taproot. Its leaves are imparipinnate 15–70 mm (0.59–2.76 in) long with up to 15 wedge-shaped or narrowly oblong leaflets 1–8 mm (0.039–0.315 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide on a very long petiole. There is a stipule often 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long at the base of the petiole. The flowers are arranged in racemes 60–120 mm (2.4–4.7 in) of up to 4 on a peduncle 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) long, each flower mostly 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long in the top 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) of the peduncle. The sepals are joined at the base, forming a tube about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the sepal lobes shorter than the tube. The petals are purple or blue, the standard petal 7.0–8.5 mm (0.28–0.33 in) long, the wings 6.5–6.7 mm (0.26–0.26 in) long, and the keel 7.0–7.5 mm (0.28–0.30 in) long. Flowering occurs in August and September, and the fruit is a glabrous pod 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long and 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) wide with the remains of the twisted style about 4 mm (0.16 in) long. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Swainsona gracilis was first formally described in 1864 by George Bentham in his Flora Australiensis , from specimens collected near the Murchison River by Augustus Oldfield. [4] [5] The specific epithet (gracilis) means "thin" or "slender". [6]

Distribution and habitat

This species of pea grows in a variety of soils in moist places in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon, Coolgardie, Gascoyne, Geraldton Sandplains, Murchison and Yalgoo bioregions of Western Australia. [2] [3]

Conservation status

Swainsona gracilis is listed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [3]

Related Research Articles

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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.

<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.

<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.

<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 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.

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

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.

Swainsona elegantoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to north-western Western Australia. It is an erect, probably annual plant with imparipinnate leaves, with about 11 narrowly egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of 15 to 25 purple flowers.

Swainsona eremaea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a low-growing, spreading, probably perennial plant with imparipinnate leaves with 5 to 11 linear, oblong to broadly wedge-shaped leaflets, and racemes of bright red to brown or yellow flowers in racemes of 5 to 20.

Swainsona extrajacens is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to central Australia. It is an erect, annual plant with imparipinnate leaves with 9 to 21 linear, egg-shaped leaflets, and racemes of purple flowers in racemes of 5 to 10.

Swainsona forrestii is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the central northern Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading, single-stemmed annual herb, with imparipinnate leaves with about 13 to 17 narrowly egg-shaped or narrowly ellipitic leaflets, and racemes of dark brownish red to purple or pink flowers in racemes of 30 or more.

Swainsona fraseri is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a perennial plant with imparipinnate leaves with mostly 21 to 24 ellipitic leaflets, and racemes of 20 or more pink to purple flowers.

Swainsona fuscoviridis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a perennial plant with many stems and imparipinnate leaves with mostly 7 or 9 ellipitic, linear or egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaflets, and racemes of 12 to 20 purple flowers.

References

  1. ↑ "Swainsona gracilis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  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 3 "Swainsona gracilis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  4. 1 2 Bentham, George (1864). Flora Australiansis. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 220. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Swainsona gracilis". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 209. ISBN   9780958034180.
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