Plants of
South Australia
Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum
Scrophulariaceae
Sugarwood,
False Sandalwood
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Common names

Sugarwood

False Sandalwood

Etymology

Myoporum from the Greek 'myo' meaning close and 'poros' pore; referring to the plants ability to reduce water loss. Platycarpum from the Greek 'platys' meaning flat and 'carpos' meaning fruit; referring to the species unusual flat fruit.

Distribution and status

Grows in open woodlands and mallee systems, on red sands, brown calcareous loams and red brown earths. Common
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, 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

Shrub or tree 1-10m. Branches of mature trees flexuous, leaves alternate, scattered, linear-lanceolate, 30-90mm wide, 3-10 mm long, glabrous. Leaf and pedical remnants forming distinct knobs. Flowers 4-11 per axil, corolla 3.5-7mm long, lobes shorter than tube, white. Flowering August - November. Fruits are fruit ovate, pale yellow or brown, compressed, 4–5.5 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide, apex acute, glabrous Seed embryo type is straight

Seed collection and propagation

Collect as the outside of the fruit becomes soft and seeds start to gain colour.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)		Number
of plants		Date
collected		Collection number
Collection location		Date
stored		% ViabilityStorage
temperature
 
MSB
4,850 (25 g)		30-406-Feb-2007DJD764
Southern Lofty
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
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.
We acknowledge the contributions of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, and the Department for Environment and Water.