windowseat
Desert
f lower
William Dampier collected the first
sample of Swainsona formosa, or Sturt's
desert pea, in 1699 on Rosemary Island
in the Dampier Archipelago, Western
Australia. Almost 150 years later, explorer
Charles Sturt came across the distinctive
flora, noting its occurrence between
Adelaide and Central Australia.
This creeping vine with bright red
blossoms occurs across western and
central Australia, appearing in arid regions
in all mainland states and territories
except Victoria.
In Sturt's journal he noted the flower's
beauty in its harsh environment: "We
saw that beautiful flower … in splendid
blossom on the plains. It was growing
amid barrenness and decay, but its long
runners were covered with flowers that
gave a crimson tint to the ground."
Since its discovery, Sturt's desert pea
has become instantly recognisable as an
Australian species, specifically adopted as
the floral emblem of South Australia.
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