Although named after the early explorer, Charles Sturt, this legume was first collected by William Dampier on an island in the Dampier Archipelago in 1699.
Low spreading ground cover up to 3 m wide and 30 cm high.
Leaves
Dull green leaves are made up of 7 pairs of oval-shaped leaflets. Stems leaves and pods are covered in short soft hairs.
Flowers
Red flowers are arranged in upright stalks in groups of 3 or more. Each flower is up to 9 cm from the top of the standard to the base of the keel. The standard is the large petal with the black dome at its base. In some plants the dome may be red and albino varieties with completely white flowers have been found in the Pilbara.
Pods
The pods are hard and light brown when ripe and if shaken the seeds rattle inside them.
Field Guide
Improve your identification skills. Download your Sturt's Desert Pea field guide here!
