Downy Darling Pea

Swainsona swainsonioides is a perennial, spreading herb up to 50 cm (20 in) high with stems covered densely or sparingly with hairs. The leaves are mostly 3–12 cm (1.2–4.7 in) long, leaflets 11-21, narrow to broadly egg-shaped to elliptic, sometimes lance-shaped, 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) long, 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) wide, apex pointed or rounded, upper surface usually smooth, lower surface with short soft hairs. The raceme has 6-15 purple flowers 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) long, pedicel 1.5–4 mm (0.059–0.157 in) long, calyx more or less smooth. Flowering occurs mostly from May to November and the fruit is an elliptic-oblong shaped pod 15–35 mm (0.59–1.38 in) long, apex rounded, smooth, green to brown and containing up to 40 seeds.

Downy Swainson-pea grows on black and heavy red soils in New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Victoria.

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