Prior names
Bursa pilosula
Capsella pilosula
Etymology
Microlepidium from the Greek 'mikros' meaning small and the genus Lepidium (from the Greek 'lepis' meaning a scale); alluding to much smaller habit of the genus to Lipidium. Pilosulum from the Latin 'pilosus' meaning hairy; referring to the plant covered in hairs.
Distribution and status
Found along the Nullarbor, western Eyre Peninsula, southern Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and in the Murrayland in South Australia, growing on sand and loam in coastal dunes and salt lake margins. Also found in Western Australia and Victoria. Native. Uncommon in South Australia. Rare in Victoria. Uncommon in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island
NRM regions: Alinytjara Wilurara, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Spreading to erect annual herb to 20 cm tall, branching and hairy Basal leaves obovate, to 2 cm long, remotely dentate to entire, stem leaves similar, to 1.5 cm long. Inflorescence along the upper part of the stems with tiny white flowers. Flowering between July to November. Fruits are red to brown wedge-shaped pod to 5 mm long and 2 mm wide, apex broadly notched. Seeds are brown ovoid seed to 0.7 mm long and 0.4 mm wide. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September and December. Collect whole plants, those with maturing pods, turning reddish brown with hard seeds inside. Be gentle with the pods as they split open easily. Place the pods in a tray and cover with paper to prevent seeds from popping out and leave to dry for a week. Then rub the dried pods 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. From two collections, the seed viability were average to high, ranging from 65% to 100%.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 10,700 (0.48 g) 10,700 (0.48 g) | 50+ | 10-Sep-2008 | HPV3719 Eyre Peninsula | 20-Jul-2009 | 100% | +5°C, -18°C |
BGA | 19,000 (0.96 g) | 50+ | 8-Oct-2008 | TST556 Kangaroo Island | 20-Jul-2009 | 65% | -18°C |
BGA | 11,200 (0.47 g) | 50+ | 6-Sep-2017 | DJD3655 Murray | 30-Jun-2018 | 85% | -18°C, -80°C |