Swainsona rostellata A.T.Lee

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, 15-40 mm long, hairy, with simple hairs, flat with flat margins; margins entire; tubercles absent, leaflets 7-9, pinnately arranged, terminal leaflet present, stalked; pustules or glands absent. Stipules present and persistent to older leaves, 2-2.5 mm long, without glands, ribless. Pedicel present, 1.5-2 mm long, hairy. Bracteoles present and persistent, 0.8-1 mm long, hairy, not striate. Calyx 2.5-4.5 mm long, not accrescent, hairy, with simple hairs, ribless; pustules or glands absent. Corolla 6-11 mm long, multicoloured, mostly purple or blue, with some purple or blue spots, streaks or blotches; claws present; standard 7-10 mm long, glabrous, not auriculate, wings 5.7-8 mm long, auriculate, keel 6.5-9.2 mm long, not beaked, auriculate, glabrous. Stamens ten; anthers 0.2-0.3 mm long, at two different levels (filaments alternately long and short); filaments united in an open sheath with one free stamen, 4-6.5 mm long. Ovary stipitate, hairy or glandular; style 8-10.5 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), 7-9 mm long, 8-8.2 mm wide, stipitate, not constricted between the seeds, round in cross-section, hairy, with simple hairs. Flowers in July, August and September. Occurs in the Eremaean Botanical Province, in the Yalgoo, Murchison and Coolgardie IBRA regions.