Plants of
South Australia
Plagiobothrys plurisepaleus
Boraginaceae
White Forget-me-not,
White Rochelia
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Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
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Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 3

Prior names

Rochelia maccoya

Rochelia plurisepalea

Maccoya plurisepalea

Allocarya plurisepalea

Common names

White Forget-me-not

White Rochelia

Etymology

Plagiobothrys from the Greek 'plagios' meaning oblique or lateral and 'bothros' meaning a pit, alluding to the scar on the side of the mericarps. Plurisepaleus from the Latin 'plures' meaning several and sepal, referring to the species many sepals.

Distribution and status

Found in the eastern half of South Australia, growing on sandy clay in damp flat at edge of creeks and claypan. Also found in all mainland States. Native. Common in South Australia. Uncommon in Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray
NRM regions: Alinytjara Wilurara, Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Decumbent to procumbent annual herb with many branches, mainly from the base; to 12 cm long, with flowers along the branches; a tap root more or less densely covered with forward-directed, appressed hairs. Leaves densely clustered; opposite and with a broad ciliate sheath at the base in a sparse basal rosette, becoming scattered, alternate and without a sheath on the inflorescences; linear to linear-oblanceolate, to 45 mm long and 3 mm, usually bluntly acute, rarely rounded. Inflorescence terminal, with widely-spaced small tubular white flowers. Flowering between June and November. Fruits are woolly fruit with 2 mericarps. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between October and January. Collect maturing fruits, those turning pale straw colour and contain hard seeds inside. Collect individual fruit or collect the whole plant. Place the fruits/plant in a tray and leave to dry for two weeks. Then rub the fruits gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.