Prior names
Boronia nana var. pubescens
Etymology
Cyanothamnus is from the Greek words cyano meaning blue, and thamnus meaning shrub. Nana from the Latin 'anus' meaning dwarf, presumably referring to the small stature of the species. Pubescens from Latin meaning downy, short hairs, referring to the pubescens leaves of the subspecies.
Distribution and status
Found only in the lower South-east in South Australia, growing in open-forest, woodland and heath on rocky substrates. Also found in Victoria. Native. Rare in South Australia. Uncommon in Victoria.
Herbarium region: South Eastern
NRM region: South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Prostrate or procumbent subshrub with branches to 30 cm long with branchlets hairy between the hairless leaf bases and warty, sometimes rough. Leaves trifoliolate, covered in arched hairs to 0.5 mm long. This feature distinguish from the other two subspecies C. nana ssp. hyssopifolia which have simple leaves and C. nana ssp. nana which have 3–5-foliolate (sometimes lower leaves simple), glabrous or with a sparse covering straight but sometimes arched hairs. Inflorescences in clusters of 1-6 white to pink flowers, to 5.5 mm long, petals overlapping in bud, persistent at the seeding stage. Flowering between September to November. Fruits are pale brown, two to four segmented capsule. Seeds are dark brown to black ellipsoid to 2.5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide with a tuberculated surface. Seed embryo type is linear fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and January. Collect mature capsules, those that are turning a pale straw colour and contain hard seeds. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for a weeks. Then rub the capsules 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. Seed viability can be low. This species has physiological dormancy and can be difficult to germinate.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSB | 1,030 (0.69 g) | 30+ | 4-Dec-2006 | DJD707 South Eastern |
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.