Prior names
Zygophyllum kochii
Common names
Three-lobed Twinleaf
Koch's Twinleaf
Etymology
Roepera (formally Zygophyllum which is from the Greek 'zygon' meaning pair and 'phyllon' meaning leaf; referring to the pair of leaflets making up each leaf) is named after Johannes August Christian Roeper (1801 -1885), a German botanist and physician. Kochii named after Maxwell "Max" Koch (1854-1925), a German-born Australian botanical collector who collected the type specimen for the specie.
Distribution and status
Found scattered in the central part of South Australia, growing on gravelly clay soils in low lying areas. Also found in Western Australia. Native. Uncommon in South Australia. Common in Western Australia.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Leaves with distinctive 3-lobed leaflets. Flowering between July and September. Fruit are pale brown 5-angled capsule to 13 mm long, somewhat angled at apex with 2-4 seed per cell. Seeds are brown, ovoid to tear-shaped to 2 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, with smooth surface. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and November. Collect semi-dried and dried capsules by running your hands through the stems of the plant. Mature fruits will come off easily and will have a hard and dark seed inside each segment. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for 1 to 2 weeks, depending on how green the fruit is. Then rub the dried capsules to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to remove 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 is usually high.