Biology:Swainsona swainsonioides

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Short description: Species of plant

Downy Swainson-pea
Swainsona swainsonioides.png
Scientific classification edit
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
(Benth.) A.T.Lee ex J.M.Black[1]


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.

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and given the name Cyclogyne swainsonioides.[4] In 1948 J.M.Black changed the name to Swainsona swainsonioides from an unpublished description by A.T.Lee and the description was published in Flora of South Australia.[5]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


Wikidata ☰ Q15484608 entry