Prior names
Aizoon zygophylloides
Common names
Twin-leaf Pigface
Etymology
Gunniopsis from the genus Gunnia, named after Ronald Campbell Gunn (1808-1881), a Tasmanian botanist, and from the Greek 'opsis', meaning resembling; alluding to the resemblance of the genus to the genus Gunnia. Zygophylloides means resembling the genus Zygophyllum.
Distribution and status
Found in north central South Australia growing in rocky situations in ranges and on shale or quartzite. Also found in Northern Territory. Native. Common in South Australia. Uncommon in Northern Territory.
Herbarium regions: Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Greenish, slightly papillose, erect or decumbent perennial shrub to 60 cm high. Leaves green or yellow-green, ovate to obovate, to 58 mm long and 24 mm wide. Flowers solitary, outside surface green, inside surface yellow. Flowering between July and October. Fruits are brown capsule to 8 mm long, four lobed and deeply depressed at apex. Seeds are small brown reniform seed to 1.4 mm long, covered with round tubercules. Seed embryo type is peripheral.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and December. Pick mature capsules when they turn a straw colour and contain hard dark seeds. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for at least a week. Then rub the dried capsules 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. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 100%.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 7,500 (2.8 g) 7,500 (2.8 g) | 100+ | 5-Oct-2010 | TST1016 Lake Eyre | 1-Jan-2012 | 100% | -18°C |