Plants of
South Australia
Phebalium glandulosum ssp. macrocalyx
Rutaceae
Large-fruit Glandular Phebalium,
Glandular Phebalium
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock painting: 1

Prior names

Phebalium glandulosum

Phebalium glandulosum ssp. glandulosum

Eriostemon sediflorus

Common names

Large-fruit Glandular Phebalium

Glandular Phebalium

Etymology

Phebalium from the Latinisation of the Greek word 'phibalee', a poetic name for the myrtle, to which the type species, P. squamulosum, is superficially similar. Glandulosum from the Latin 'glandulosus' meaning glandular, referring tothe glandular-warty covering on the stems and leaves. Macrocalyx from the Latin 'macro' meaning large and 'calyx' meaning cover or cup, referring to the large calyx which distinguishes this from the most closely related subspecies.

Distribution and status

Found only in the upper Yorke Peninsula and Northern Lofty in South Australia, growing on sandy soils in heathland and mallee. Also found in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Very rare in Queensland and Victoria. Common in New South Wales.
Herbarium regions: Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula
NRM regions: Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Bushy shrub to 2 m high with glandular-warty stems that are densely covered with silvery to rust-coloured scales. Leaves narrowly oblong to 1 cm long and  2 mm with upper surface glabrous, lower surface silvery-scaly, midrib flat to weakly impressed. Inflorescence a dense clusters of pale bright yellow flowers, the calyx hemispherical to top-shaped, to 1.5 mm long, glandular warty and covered with scales on the outside. Flowering September to October. Fruits are brown papery-capsule with a number of segments, each containing a seed, scaly. Seeds are black bean-like 4 mm long and 2 mm wide, finely corrugated. 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 containing 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 to high, depending on timing of collection. Capsule can split and release the seed readily and timing of seed collection is critical. This species has morpho-physiological dormancy and can be difficult 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
BGA1,300 (2.24 g)5216-Dec-2003MKJ11
Yorke Peninsula
1-Sep-200445%-18°C
BGA1,350 (3.31 g)5018-Jan-2007DJD745
Yorke Peninsula
1-Aug-2007100%+5°C, -18°C
BGA400 (0.74 g)912-Nov-2009TST882
Yorke Peninsula
1-Jun-201050%-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.
Germination table:
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