Botanical art
Prior names
Styphelia daphnoides
Common names
Daphne Heath
Etymology
Brachyloma from the Greek 'brachys' meaning short and 'loma' meaning a fringe or edge; alluding to the hairs or scales in the throat of the corolla tube. Daphnoides alludes to the Daphne-like scent of the flowers that is released at anthesis (during time of flowering).
Distribution and status
Found in the South-east corner in South Australia, growing on sandy soils in dry heathland, mallee and heathy woodland or open-forest . Also found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Native. Uncommon in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Murray, South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect shrub to 1 m high with glabrous to hairy branches. Leaves ascending to spreading, ovate to obovate, to 11 mm long and 4.5 mm wide; glabrous, dull green to grey-green, discolourous (lower surface usually slightly paler), apex obtuse. Inflorescence solitary, towards the base of the current season's growth, with white, sweet-scented tubular flowers. Flowering between August and October. Fruits are pale green to yellow slightly depressed globular fruit to 3 mm long and 4.2 mm wide, with a thin flesh and a woody seed Seeds are brown woody semi-flattened globular seed with longitudinal ribs. Seed embryo type is linear under-developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and December. Collect the fruit that are maturing, starting to turn pale green or yellowish with a hard woody seed inside. Place the fruits in a bucket of water and rub the flesh off with your hands. Drain the water and wash again if required to remove all the flesh. Then spread the wet seeds on some paper towel and leave to dry. 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. This species is generally difficult to germinate, it has morphophysiological dormancy and complex germination requirements.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 1,250 (33.5 g) 1,250 (33.5 g) | 50+ | 19-Jan-2005 | DJD94 Southern Lofty | 28-Mar-2006 | -18°C |
Number of plants: This is the number of plants from which the seeds were collected.
Collection location: The Herbarium of South Australia's region name.
% Viability: Percentage of filled healthy seeds determined by a cut test or x-ray.