Prostrate or ascending perennial herb, to c. 15 cm tall; stems pubescent with spreading to divergent hairs; hairs basifixed or laterally attached at base. Leaves mostly 3–5 cm long; leaflets 9–13, narrow-elliptic to obovate, lateral leaflets 5–15 mm long, usually 1–3 mm wide, terminal leaflet somewhat longer, apices acute, rarely obtuse or retuse, both surfaces appressed-pubescent, or upper surface glabrous; stipules 2–5 mm long. Racemes subumbellate, mostly 2–7-flowered; flowers 7–10 mm long; calyx pubescent, hairs brown to black, teeth usually more or less equal to tube; petals purplish; standard 7–8 mm long, 9–12 mm wide, broad-ovate, clawed; keel c. 7–9 mm long, apex obtuse, twisted; style slightly twisted, tip inflexed or geniculate. Pod obloid, mostly 10–18 mm long, 3–7 mm wide, pubescent, stipe to c. 5 mm long; seeds c. 20, cordate, c. 1.7 mm long, olive-green to brown. Flowers Aug.–Jan.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, OtP, Gold, CVU, NIS, EGU, HNF, MonT, VAlp. Also SA, NSW. Rare, widespread but sporadic in Victoria, mostly in lowlands west of Melbourne, but extending to montane areas in the east (e.g. Omeo, Cobungra, Gelantipy). Usually found in grassland and grassy woodland on relatively fertile soils.
Rare, widespread but sporadic in Victoria, mostly in lowlands west of Melbourne, but extending to montane areas in the east (e.g. Omeo, Cobungra, Gelantipy)
A 2011 record of Swainsona monticola A.Cunn. ex Benth. from near Suggan Buggan in eastern Victoria was based on a misdetermined specimen of S. behriana.
