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Swainsona formosa
Known by a wide range of other common names including Lobster Claws, Glory Pea & Blood Flower among others. A well known Australian native plant that grows as a ground cover; leaves are small grey-green in colour; flowers are distinctive bright red with a bulbous black centre or "boss"; flowers held high on stalks that are arranged at intervals along a prostrate stem (some noted to also grow to heights of almost 2 metres). Usually pollinated by birds. Grows well in spring through to summer but also after good rains. These were flowering well in winter. Varieties of different coloured flowers have been noted in the wild and as cultivars including a pure white form; various colours from blood red to pink, cream with different coloured centres.
Found throughout arid & north west regions of Australia. These ones in far west NSW along roadside flowering well in winter months due to recent rain after long hot summer and still unseasonally warm conditions.
Spotted on Jun 3, 2014
Submitted on Jun 21, 2014
6 Comments
Thanks Neil. Well, these were brightly displaying on the roadside edge just outside Walgett, NSW, but I've seen them just a little bit closer, depending on how much livestock grazing there is, how much rain there's been. With this summery weather continuing, the soil is warm and there's some good falls of rain so that could provide wildflower colour for many months to come in various areas.
Awesome. Do I have to go to the back of Bourke to see one? A trip out west is long overdue. Congrats, KD :)
Beautiful! Thank you everyone for your comments and selection of Fact of the Day! I absolutely love these flowers and to see them appear as beacons in the desert is such a pleasure.
Beautiful and interesting spotting,congrats on the well deserved FOTD and thanks for sharing
Congratulations kd! Your spotting has been chosen for Project Noah Fact of the Day: "Sturt's desert pea is a flowering plant native to the arid regions of central and northwestern Australia, and one of Australia's best known wildflowers. Sturt's desert pea can withstand extreme temperatures, and has an exceptionally long tap root to reach to water deep in the soil. The appearance of its striking red leaf-like flowers indicates it has rained in the desert. Sturt's desert pea is named after Charles Sturt, an explorer who headed several important expeditions into the interior of Australia in the 19th century. It takes its scientific name (Swainsona formosa) from scientist and plant cultivator Isaac Swainson, who maintained a private botanical garden near London. All plants in the genus Swainsona are native to Australasia. Several species in this genus contain a phytotoxin harmful to cattle, known as swainsonine.
Sturt's desert pea (Swainsona formosa), spotted in New South Wales, Australia, by Project Noah user kdpicturemaker".
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Well deserved!