Botanical art
Prior names
Swainsona morrisiana
Swainsona murrayana ssp. eciliata
Common names
Murray's Slender Darling-Pea
Murray Swainson-pea
Slender Swainson-pea
Etymology
Swainsona named after Isaac Swainson (1746-1812), an English scientist and horticulturalist who had a private botanic garden near London. Murrayana named after the Murray River, where the type species was collected from.
Distribution and status
Found only in Boolcoomatta Station, west of Broken Hill in South Australia, growing in depressions in chenopod plains on heavy soils. Also found in Queensland, New South Wales & Victoria. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Very rare in the other states.
Herbarium region: Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Prostrate or erect perennial herb to 25 cm high covered in fine hairs. Leaves are narrow, lance-shaped and in groups of 3-11. Flowers on a long erect stalk, usually pink with a twisted keel. Flowering between July and October. Fruits are long narrow pods to 6cm long and covered in fine hairs. Seeds are yellow orange (some with dark spots) reniform seeds to 2.5mm long with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September and December. Collect pods by hand when seeds are hard and turning orange, usually when pods start to turn straw brown on the plant or on the ground. Place the pods in a tray to dry for a week. Then rub the pods firmly 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 four collections, the seed viability were high, ranging from 90% to 100%. 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 | 1,300 (9.21 g) | 9 | 22-Oct-2008 | DJD1166 Eastern | 20-Jul-2009 | 90% | -18°C |
| BGA MSB | 7,500 (47.61 g) 7,500 (47.61 g) | 100 | 22-Oct-2008 | MJT160 Eastern | 20-Jul-2009 | 100% | -18°C |
| BGA | 6,000 (44.78 g) | 75 | 22-Oct-2008 | DJD1168 Eastern | 20-Jul-2009 | 100% | -18°C |
| BGA | 6,000 (38.07 g) | 45 | 22-Oct-2008 | DJD1167 Eastern | 20-Jul-2009 | 90% | -18°C |
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.