Common name: Red Swainson-pea
Swainsona plagiotropis F.Muell. APNI*
Description: Prostrate perennial to c. 15 cm high; stems glabrous or sparsely pubescent with appressed or loosely antrorse, basifixed or sub-basifixed hairs.
Leaves mostly 5–12 cm long; leaflets 13–25, narrow-obovate to narrow-lanceolate, lateral leaflets mostly 10–15 mm long, 1–4 mm wide, apex acute to obtuse, lower surface with scattered hairs; stipules 5–9 mm long, occasionally with minute teeth.
Racemes 2–5-flowered; flowers 10–15 mm long. Calyx ± glabrous, teeth longer than tube. Corolla reddish purple; keel apex ± acute, strongly upwardly curved. Style tip straight.
Pod ovoid-oblong, 15–25 mm long, pubescent; style c. 8–9 mm long; stipe minute.
Distribution and occurrence: in grassland, often in table drains; rare.
NSW subdivisions: SWS, NWP, SWP
Other Australian states: Vic.
Threatened species: NSW BCA: Vulnerable; Commonwealth EPBC: Vulnerable
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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