Swainsona formosa, commonly known as Sturt's desert pea or Sturt pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is native to all continental states and the Northern Territory of Australia, with the exception of Victoria. It is a prostrate annual or short lived perennial herb with imparipinnate leaves with about 15 elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of usually red flowers in racemes of 2 to 6.
Swainsona formosa is a prostrate annual or short lived perennial herb, with several densely softly-hairy stems mostly 4–8 mm wide. The leaves are mostly 100–150 mm long with about 15 elliptic to egg-shaped leaflets 100–300 mm long and 5–12 mm wide, the end leaflet slightly longer. There are broad, densely hairy stipules, sometimes 15 mm or more at the base of the petiole. The flowers are borne in racemes about 100–150 mm long with 2 to 6 usually red flowers, sometimes white or other colours, on a peduncle 50–150 mm ong, each flower on a shaggy-hairy pedicel 5–20 mm long.
Sturt's desert pea is widespread in arid parts of inland Australia, including in Western Australia, South Australia, the southern parts of the Northern Territory, western parts of New South Wales and in Queensland. It grows in red sandy or loamy soils in mulga woodland, near creek lines and on stony hills, sometimes in woodland and open plains.
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