Botanical art
Prior names
Commersonia multiloba
Commersonia tatei f. larger-leaved
Commersonia tatei, partly
Common names
Wrinkle-leaf Commersonia
Trailing Commersonia
Etymology
Androcalva from the Greek 'andros' meaning a male and 'calvus' meaning bald, hairless; referring to the glabrous staminodes present in this genus. Multiloba from the Latin 'multus' meaning many and 'lobus' meaning rounded projection; referring to the many serrated lobes on the margin of leaves of this species.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and currently only known from two locations near Cowell on Eyre Peninsula, growing on reddish-brown, clayey sand over granite or white sand, in Melaleuca and Acacia shrubland, with scattered mallee and Triodia. Native. Very rare in South Australia.
Herbarium region: Eyre Peninsula
NRM region: Eyre Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect, spreading perennial shrub to 50 cm tall. Leaves are dark green, wrinkled and covered in fine stellate hairs. Stems are covered in copper coloured hairs. Flowers are white with a red centre. Flowering between August and october. Fruits are brown globular capsule with four valves, splitting when matured and contain numerous black seeds. Seeds are small black tear-shaped seeds to 1.5 mm long, with small rounded projections on the seed coat. Seed embryo type is spathulate.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and November. Capsules can be collected prior to splitting as long as the seeds inside are hard and black. Place the capsules in a tray and cover with paper to prevent seeds being lost when explosively 'popping' out. Leave to dry for at least a week. Rub the dried capsules by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to rub the fruits and to separate the unwanted material. Store the seeds with a dessicant such as dried silica beads or dry rice in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 100%. These seeds have physical dormancy and can be germinated after pre-treatment such as scarification, nicking or hot water. The pre-treatments remove/breach the physical barrier for moisture uptake.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 8,300 (14.86 g) 8,300 (14.86 g) | 100+ | 17-Oct-2007 | DJD906 Eyre Peninsula | 19-Sep-2008 | 100% | +5°C, -18°C |
| BGA | 2,200 (4.17 g) | 50+ | 4-Apr-2019 | TST1417 Eyre Peninsula | 24-Jun-2020 | 95% | -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.