Common name: Poison Swainson-pea
Swainsona microphylla A.Gray APNI*
Description: Prostrate perennial to c. 60 cm high; stems sparsely to densely pubescent with appressed to spreading basifixed hairs.
Leaves 5–15 cm long; leaflets usually 21–41, broad-cuneate to ± circular, mostly 1–5 mm long and 1–3 mm wide, apex retuse, ± caducous, both surfaces pubescent to ± glabrous; stipules to 4 mm long, occasionally toothed.
Racemes usually 10–25-flowered; flowers 5–10 mm long. Calyx glabrous or pubescent, teeth usually much shorter than the tube. Corolla purple, pink or white; keel narrow-obtuse often with a small forward-projecting apex. Style tip truncate with an arc of stiff hairs.
Pod ± globose to broad-oblong, mostly 5–10 mm long, glabrous; style 2–4 mm long; stipe minute.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows on light soils, usually on sandhills or on sandplains.
NSW subdivisions: NWS, CWS, NWP, SWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. W.A. 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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