Botanical art
Prior names
Brachycome blackii
Etymology
Brachyscome from the Greek 'brachys' meaning short and 'kome' meaning hair or fringe, referring to the short bristles or hairs of the pappus. Blackii named after John McConnell Black (1855–1951), a Scottish-born South Australian botanist and author of first Flora of South Australia.
Distribution and status
Found in the far north-western corner in South Australia, growing among rocks on ridges and cliffs and on stony ground. Also found in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Native. Uncommon in South Australia. Uncommon in Western Australia. Common in the Northern Territory.
Herbarium region: North Western
NRM region: Alinytjara Wilurara
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Perennial woody herb to 40 cm high, with hairy branches. Leaves sessile, ovate to elliptic in outline, pinnatifid, glandular hairy, to 20 mm long and 7 mm wide. Inflorescence on long stalk above leaves with pale blue to mauve ray florets and yellow disc florets. Flowering between August and September. Fruits are brown daisy heads. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September and November. Pick heads that are maturing, drying off, with brown seeds that dislodge easily. Place the seed-heads in a tray and leave to dry for a week. Then gently rub the heads 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.