''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family
legumes
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock fo ...
), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera '' Montigena'' (scree pea), ''
Clianthus
''Clianthus'', commonly known as kakabeak (''kōwhai ngutukākā'' in Māori), is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, comprising two species of shrubs native to New Zealand. They have striking clusters of red flowers ...
'' (kakabeak), and ''Carmichaelia'' (
New Zealand broom
''Carmichaelia'' (New Zealand brooms) is a genus of 24 plant species belonging to Fabaceae, the legume family. All but one species are native to New Zealand; the exception, '' Carmichaelia exsul'', is native to Lord Howe Island and presumably d ...
).
''Swainsona'' is named after English botanist
Isaac Swainson
Isaac Swainson (1746–1812) was famous for his botanical garden, which was largely funded from the profits of a herbal remedy for venereal disease. For his commercial activities in the latter field, he has been called a "radical quack".McCalman, ...
.
A few species are known to produce
swainsonine
Swainsonine is an indolizidine alkaloid. It is a potent inhibitor of Golgi alpha-mannosidase II, an immunomodulator, and a potential chemotherapy drug. As a toxin in locoweed (likely its primary toxin) it also is a significant cause of economi ...
pea struck
Locoweed (also crazyweed and loco) is a common name in North America for any plant that produces swainsonine, a phytotoxin harmful to livestock. Worldwide, swainsonine is produced by a small number of species, most of them in three genera of th ...
.
;Selected species
*''
Swainsona acuticarinata
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
Swainsona adenophylla
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' J.M.Black
*''
Swainsona affinis
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
Swainsona beasleyana
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae ( legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera '' M ...
'' F.Muell.
*''
Swainsona behriana
''Swainsona behriana'', commonly known as Southern Swainson-pea, is a small perennial plant in the family Fabaceae that is native to Australia. It grows to 15 cm high, has hairy stems and pinnate leaves that are 3 to 5 cm long. Raceme ...
'' F.Muell. ex J.M.Black
*''
Swainsona brachycarpa
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae ( legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera '' M ...
'' Benth.
*''
Swainsona bracteata
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' (Maiden & Betche) Joy Thomps.
*''
Swainsona burkei
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' F.Muell. ex Benth.
*''
Swainsona burkittii
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae ( legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
'' F.Muell. ex Benth.
*''
Swainsona cadellii
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' F.Muell. ex C.Moore & Betche
*''
Swainsona calcicola
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' Joy Thomps.
*''
Swainsona campestris
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' J.M.Black
*''
Swainsona campylantha
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' F.Muell.
*''
Swainsona canescens
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
'' (Benth.) F.Muell.
*''
Swainsona colutoides
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
'' F.Muell.
*''
Swainsona complanata
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
Swainsona cornuta
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' Joy Thomps.
*''
Swainsona coronillifolia
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera '' M ...
'' Salisb.
*''
Swainsona cyclocarpa
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
'' F.Muell.
*''
Swainsona decurrens
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
Swainsona dictyocarpa
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' J.M.Black
*''
Swainsona disjuncta
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
'' Joy Thomps.
*''
Swainsona ecallosa
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
'' Sprague
*''
Swainsona elegans
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
Swainsona elegantoides
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
Swainsona eremaea
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mo ...
Swainsona fissimontana
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' J.M.Black
*''
Swainsona flavicarinata
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Legu ...
'' J.M.Black
*''
Swainsona formosa
''Swainsona formosa'', Sturt's desert pea, is an Australian plant in the genus '' Swainsona'', named after English botanist Isaac Swainson, famous for its distinctive blood-red leaf-like flowers, each with a bulbous black centre, or "boss". It ...
'' (G. Don) Joy Thomps. – Sturt's Desert Pea
*''
Swainsona forrestii
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae
The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,A.T.Lee
*''
Swainsona fragilis
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' F.M.Bailey
*''
Swainsona fraseri
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' Benth.
*''
Swainsona fuscoviridis
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' Joy Thomps.
*''
Swainsona galegifolia
''Swainsona galegifolia'' commonly known as smooth Darling pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small shrub with greyish-green leaves and flowers in white, red, pink, purple, yellow or ...
'' (Andrews) R.Br.
*''
Swainsona gracilis
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' Benth.
*''
Swainsona greyana
''Swainsona greyana'', commonly known as Darling Pea or Hairy Darling Pea, is a shrubby perennial in the family Fabaceae that is native to Australia. It grows to 1.5 metres high, has hairy stems and pinnate leaves that are 10 to 15 cm lon ...
'' Lindl.
*''
Swainsona halophila
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
Swainsona kingii
''Swainsona'' is a large genus of flowering plants native to Australasia. There are 85 species, all but one of which are endemic to Australia.
A member of the family Fabaceae (legumes), it is most closely related to the New Zealand genera ''Mont ...
'' F.Muell.
*''
Swainsona lessertiifolia
''Swainsona lessertiifolia'', commonly known as the coast Swainson-pea, is a sprawling, largely coastal, perennial herb in the pea family that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It grows to about 50 cm in height, has divided leaves and ...
'' DC.
*''
Swainsona monticola
''Swainsona monticola'', commonly known as Notched Swainson-pea, is a small perennial plant in the pea family Fabaceae that is native to New South Wales, Australia. The habitat is in elevated areas on woodland or rocky slopes. The lectotype was ...
'' A.Cunn. ex Benth.
*''
Swainsona procumbens
''Swainsona procumbens'' (common names - Broughton pea, swamp pea) is a plant in the pea family (Fabaceae) native to Australia and found in New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
Description
''Swainso ...
'' (F.Muell.) F.Muell.
*''
Swainsona sejuncta
''Swainsona sejuncta'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae. It has pea-shaped flowers in a variety of colours, pink, cream, orange and mauve from spring to summer and is endemism, endemic to Queensland.
Description
''Swainso ...