Swainsona forrestii A.T.Lee

Scientific Description

Erect, herb. Stems terete, not spiny, hairy; pustules or glands absent. Leaves or phylloclades clearly present, compound, alternate, 35-85 mm long, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent, leaflets 15-17, pinnately arranged, terminal leaflet present, stalked; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 3.2-3.8 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 4-4.5 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present and persistent, 1 mm long, hairy, not striate. Calyx 6.5-8 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 13-17.6 mm long, multicoloured, mostly pink, red, brown or purple, with some pink, red, brown or purple spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 12-17 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 10-12 mm long, auriculate, keel 10-14.6 mm long, not beaked, auriculate. Stamens ten; anthers 0.3-0.6 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 9-10 mm long. Ovary stipitate, hairy or glandular; style 7-15 mm long, hairy or glandular towards the base, bearded (with a tuft of hairs at apex), terete. Fruit dehiscent (a pod or follicle), stipitate, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section. Flowers in August, September and October. Occurs in the Eremaean Botanical Province, in the Pilbara, Carnarvon, Gascoyne, Little Sandy Desert and Murchison IBRA regions.