Recently added to the excitations stock photo archive are a number of new images of Swainsona formosa, Sturt Desert Pea. this native plant is found in all mainland states of Australia, except for Victoria. Sturt's Desert Pea is the wildflower emblem of South Australia, and is one of the most widely recognised of Australian wildflowers. Growing in arid and semi arid regions it generally flowers from Spring through to Summer. Flourishing after rains, Swainsona formos can withstand very high temperatures, endure strong sunlight, and long harsh dry periods.

Famous for its large blood red leaf like flowers with black centres or Bosses, Swainsona formosa has a number of naturally occuring variants, including and all white version and a number with differrent coloured Bosses, such as the flowers pictured imediately above with plum red centres.

The fruit of Sturt's Desert Pea is legume, with each pod growing to maturity containing around 50 kidney shaped flat seeds, which have very strong viability and are able to germinate many years after falling to ground. Swainsona formos is generally a low growing or prostrate plant, however, in the Pilbra region of Western Australia specimens growing up to 2 metres in height have been observed. More stock images of Swainsona formosa or Sturt Desert Pea can be viewed here.