Plants of
South Australia
Cryptandra tomentosa
Rhamnaceae
Prickly cryptandra,
Heath Cryptandra,
Velvet Cryptandra
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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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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 5

Prior names

Cryptandra tomentosa var. 1

Common names

Prickly cryptandra

Heath Cryptandra

Velvet Cryptandra

Etymology

Cryptandra from the Greek 'kryptos' meaning hidden and 'andros' meaning a man, referring to the hidden anthers in the hood-shaped petals. Tomentosa from the Latin 'tomentum' meaning wool, hair, referring to the tomentose branches and floral tubes.

Distribution and status

Found in the southern part of South Australia, mainly in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Murrayland and the South-east, growing in heaths and woodlands. Also found in Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Small straggling shrub to 30 cm high, with slender tomentose branches and slightly spiny branchlets. Leaves usually terete with closely revolute margins, to 6 mm long and less than 1 mm wide, sometimes 1-2 mm wide when the undersurface is somewhat exposed. Flowers scented, sessile in loose few-flowered heads or short spikes at the ends of the branchlets, sepals as long as the floral tube, densely tomentose with minute hairs, floral tube more or less glabrous, white. Flowering between June and October. Fruits are brown obovoid capsule to 3 mm long, with an almost flat top, and free for about one-third of its length. Seeds are brown ovoid seed to 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, with an aril at one end. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between October and January. Collect fruit heads that are darkening and have a fluffy appearance. Rub the flower parts in your palm to see if there is any seed, which should be yellow-brown and hard. Place the heads in a tray and leave to dry for a week. Then rub the heads with your hands or a rubber bung 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. Seed viability can be low. This species has morphophysiological dormancy that need to be overcome for the seed to germinate.

Seeds stored:
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LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB
2,650 (2.38 g)
2,650 (2.38 g)
520-Nov-2006DJD692
Murray
1-Aug-200730%-18°C
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.