Swainsona canescens (Lindl.) F.Muell.
Grey Swainsona

Scientific Description

Prostrate,spreading or scrambling, herb. Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, compound, alternate, continuous with stem, 60-145 mm long, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent, leaflets 11-15, pinnately arranged, terminal leaflet present, stalked; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves. Pedicel present, 2-2.5 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present and persistent, 4-4.5 mm long, hairy, not striate. Calyx 5.5-9 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 11-15.5 mm long, multicoloured, mostly pink or purple, with some pink or purple spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 10-15.5 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 9-11 mm long, not auriculate, keel 14-16 mm long, not auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 1-1.2 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 10-12 mm long. Ovary stipitate, glabrous; style 16-18 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, bearded (with a tuft of hairs at apex), flattened at apex. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), stipitate, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, not beaked. Flowers in May, July, August, September, October, November and December. Occurs in the Eremaean and South-West Botanical Province, in the Pilbara, Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Yalgoo, Murchison, Great Victorian Desert, Coolgardie, Geraldton Sandplains and Mallee IBRA regions.