Botanical art
Prior names
Swainsona microphylla var. tomentosa
Swainsona microphylla var. minima
Swainsona microphylla ssp. tomentosa
Swainsona microphylla ssp. minima
Etymology
Swainsona named after Isaac Swainson (1746-1812), an English scientist and horticulturalist who had a private botanic garden near London. Microphylla from the Greek 'micros' meaning small and 'phyllon' meaning leaf; referring to the species small leaflets.
Distribution and status
Found in light soils, on sandhills or sandplain, in the north-eastern and north-western region, on Eyre peninsula and along the Murray river in South Australia. Also found in Western Australia, Northern territory, New South Wales and Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Eyre Peninsula, Murray
NRM regions: Alinytjara Wilurara, Eyre Peninsula, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Perennial decumbent or ascending herbs or undershrubs. Leaves variable but usually 5-15cm long, with 15-41 leaflets, each 1-5mm long. Flowers purple, or occasionally pink or white. Fruits are globular to short oblong pod to 10mm long with glabrous, papery surface. Seeds are orange/brown, semi-flat reniform seeds to 2mm long with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September 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, at 95%. 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 MSB | 7,600 (12.29 g) 7,600 (12.29 g) | 50+ | 25-Sep-2007 | MJT82 Lake Eyre | 19-Sep-2008 | 95% | -18°C |
BGA | 21,000 (35.82 g) | 100+ | 1-Nov-2010 | TST1092 Gairdner-Torrens | 1-Jan-2012 | 95% | -18°C |