The Yellow-keeled Swainsona (Swainsona flavicarinata) is a plant that can be seen spreading across the ground with erect flowering stems composed of up to 10 or more often multi-coloured flowers. The flowers vary between a red/pink, purple, changing to blue as the flower ages, with a yellow keel. The leaves have between 5-9 leaflets, being hairy underneath and hairless above.

Yellow-keeled Swainsona (Swainsona flavicarinata), Alice Springs NT
Yellow-keeled Swainsona (Swainsona flavicarinata)

Often seen in flower during winter and found on red sandy and stony plains in the Central Australia region.

The name flavicarinata means ‘yellow keel’. There is also a rare white form of the Yellow-keeled Swainsona (Swainsona flavicarinata).


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Phylum: Charophyta
  • Class: Equisetopsida
  • Subclass: Magnoliidae
  • Superorder: Rosanae
  • Order: Fabales
  • Family: Fabaceae
  • Genus: Swainsona
  • Species: Swainsona flavicarinata

Footnote & References

  1. Yellow-Keeled Swainsona, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2916446

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