Common name: Skeleton Pea
Swainsona laxa R.Br. APNI* Synonyms: Swainsona rigida (Benth.) J.M.Black APNI*
Description: Erect or ascending shrub to c. 2 m high, often appearing leafless; stems glabrous or with scattered short appressed basifixed hairs.
Leaves mostly 5–15 cm long; leaflets often failing to develop, mostly 13–17, variable but mostly obovate, the lower 1–10 mm long, to 7 mm wide, apex emarginate, lower surface sparsely pubescent; stipules to c. 2 mm long, ridge not always present.
Racemes usually 15–20-flowered; flowers 10–15 mm long. Calyx glabrous or sparsely hairy, teeth much shorter than tube. Corolla yellow with some purple markings, mainly on wings; keel apex obtuse, ± beaked. Style tip ± straight with a tuft of hairs.
Pod mostly obovate to elliptic, 15–20 mm long, glabrous; style c. 3 mm long; stipe 1–2 mm long.
Distribution and occurrence: in sandy soil, often on upper slopes of sand ridges.
NSW subdivisions: NWP, SWP, NFWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld S.A. N.T.
Text by J. Thompson & T. A. James
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 2 (1991)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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