Swainsona perlonga
| Swainsona perlonga | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Swainsona |
| Species: | S. perlonga
|
| Binomial name | |
| Swainsona perlonga | |
Swainsona perlonga is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is Endemic to inland parts of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a scrambling perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with 7 to 13 egg-shaped or almost round leaflets, and racemes of 7 to 10 purple to lilac-pink flowers.
Description[edit]
Swainsona perlonga is scrambling perennial herb that typically grows to a height of up to about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high. Its leaves are imparipinnate, 30–60 mm (1.2–2.4 in) long on a petiole, with 7 to 13, egg-shaped to almost round leaflets, the lower leaflets 3–12 mm (0.12–0.47 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide. There is an egg-shaped stipule 1–7 mm (0.039–0.276 in) long at the base of the petiole. The flowers are arranged in racemes with 7 to 10 flowers on a peduncle about 1 mm (0.039 in) wide, each flower about 10 mm (0.39 in) long on a pedicel about 2 mm (0.079 in) long. The sepals are joined at the base, forming a tube 2.0–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) long, the sepal lobes about as long as the tube. The petals are purple to lilac-pink, the standard petal about 10 mm (0.39 in) long and wide, the wings about 9 mm (0.35 in) long, and the keel about 10 mm (0.39 in) long and 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) deep.[2] Flowering occurs in August,[3] and the fruit is 15–20 mm (0.59–0.79 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide.[2]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Swainsona perlonga was first formally described in 1993 by Joy Thompson in the journal Telopea from specimens collected by Charles Gardner in 1953.[2][4] The specific epithet (perlonga) means "very long", referring to its location, very far from that if the similar S. viridis.[2]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
This species of pea grows in clay on river banks, and swampy or saline areas, in the Geraldton Sandplains, Murchison and Yalgoo bioregions of inland, south-western Western Australia.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ "Swainsona perlonga". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d Thompson, Joy (1993). "A revision of the genus Swainsona (Fabaceae)". Telopea. 5 (3): 492–493. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Swainsona perlonga". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Swainsona perlonga". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 5 May 2024.