Scientific Name: Swainsona lessertiifolia
Common Name: coast poisonpea
Family Classification (Clade): Eudicots
Family: Fabaceae
Form Description: Perennial herb with trailing or ascending stems.
Height (m): 0.3 – 0.5
Flowers: Showy purple pea flowers, 12-25 in axillary sprays, each flower on a short stalk.
Fruit: Seed pod – oblong, inflated (15-30mm long, 5-8mm wide) and hairy.
Municipality
Plant Communities
Habitat Notes
Local in the north-west at Woolnorth. Mainly a plant of the coastal sand-hills but occasionally extending inland.
Site Tolerance
Dry, Exposed, Moist, Windy
Soil Tolerance
Loam, Nutrient-poor, Sandy, Well-drained
Propagation Calendar
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Flowering Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Seed Collecting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Sowing Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Cutting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Harvest seed close to maturity and dry in warm area. Seeds shed soon after maturity.
Seed Treatment Method
Hot Water Hot water is used to soften the hard seed case of some species. This replicates the weathering process. Pour hot (not boiling) water over the seeds and allow them to soak for 4-12 hours.
Seed Treatment Notes
Harvest seed close to maturity and dry in warm area. Nicking the seed provides the best results but hot treatment is the most commonly used. Soak in hot water (just off the boil) for a few hours. Dry seed before sowing.