Botanical art
Prior names
Swainsona stipularis var. longialata
Swainsona stipularis var. purpurea
Etymology
Swainsona named after Isaac Swainson (1746-1812), an English scientist and horticulturalist who had a private botanic garden near London. Purpurea from the Latin 'purpura' meaning purple dye; referring to the colour of the flowers.
Distribution and status
Found in low-lying areas or on dunes, associated with lake margins and often with salt and/or gypsum across the northern parts of South Australia. Also found in all other mainly states. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern
NRM regions: Alinytjara Wilurara, South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
An erect or spreading plant with few to many hairy stems arising from a taproot. Leaves 3-12cm long with 3-11 hairy, linear or elliptic leaflets. Flowers purple. Fruits are dark brown to black, long linear, leathery pods, 10-60mm long covered in fine hairs. Seeds are light brown, semi-flat reniform seeds to 2mm long with a smooth surface. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September and November. Collect mature pods, dark brown or black containing hard seeds. Mature pods can be found lying on the ground next to the plant containing hard seeds. When dried the pods become hard and difficult to open. 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 three 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSB | 4,900 (23.94 g) | 20+ | 5-Oct-2010 | DJD1935 Lake Eyre | 90% | ||
BGA | 3,000 (15.67 g) | 20+ | 3-Nov-2010 | TST1090 Lake Eyre | 1-Jan-2012 | 90% | -18°C |
BGA | 8,000 (26.62 g) | 50+ | 5-Oct-2010 | MJT282 Lake Eyre | 1-Jan-2012 | 100% | -18°C |