Botanical art
Prior names
Cyclogyne canescens
Swainsona canescens var. horniana
Common names
Grey swainsona
Grey Swainson-pea
Etymology
Swainsona named after Isaac Swainson (1746-1812, an English scientist and horticulturalist who had a private botanic garden near London. Canescens is Latin for becoming hoary (white or greyish in colour).
Distribution and status
Found in the arid part of South Australia, northwest of Port Augusta. Also occurs in Western Australia and Northern Territory. Common in South Australia. Common interstate.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula
NRM regions: Alinytjara Wilurara, South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect spreading shrub to 50cm tall with green leaves covered in white hairs. Stems are thick and covered in dense white hairs. Purple, pink or yellow pea-flowers, densely covering an erect stalk and appearing in winter and spring. Fruits are dark hairy pods to 25mm long and 6mm wide. Seeds are brown (some with black spots) reniform seeds to 4mm long with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and December. Collect pods that are matured or those drying off with hard brown seeds inside. Place the pods in a tray and leave to dry for 1-2 weeks. Then rub the pods with a rubber bung 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 90% to 100%. This species has physical dormancy that need 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 | 380 (0.68 g) | 20-Nov-2005 | BS94-4999 North Western | 7-Aug-2006 | 90% | -18°C | |
BGA | 1,800 (4.62 g) | 2-Nov-2009 | DJD1687 Eyre Peninsula | 1-Jun-2010 | 100% | -18°C |