Etymology
Swainsona named after Isaac Swainson (1746-1812), an English scientist and horticulturalist who had a private botanic garden near London. Vestita from the Latin 'vestitus' meaning to clothed; referring to its long and conspicuous hairs.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found on open stony plains in a very small area around Cooper Pedy. Native. Very rare in South Australia.
Herbarium region: Lake Eyre
NRM region: South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
An erect or ascending perennial to 25 cm high with numerous hairy stems arising from a taproot. Leaves to 10 cm with 7 narrow lanceolate hairy leaflets. Flowers purple at the end of the stalk. Flowering between August and October. Fruits are small papery bladder/balloon like pods covered in hairs. Seeds are brown, semi-flat reniform seeds to 3 mm long with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and November. Collect mature pods. Mature pods can be found lying on the ground next to the plant containing hard seeds. Place the pods in a tray and leave to dry for a week. Use a rubber bung to rub the pods or break the pods open with your fingers to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. From two collections, the seed viability were high, ranging from 80% to 95%. This species has physical dormancy that needs to be overcome for the seed to germinate (e.g. nicking or softening the seed coat).
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 8,900 (26.25 g) 8,900 (26.25 g) | 50+ | 2-Nov-2010 | DJD1866 Lake Eyre | 1-Jan-2012 | 80% | -18°C |
BGA | 1,000 (3.41 g) | 20+ | 2-Nov-2010 | DJD1874 Lake Eyre | 1-Jan-2012 | 95% | -18°C |