Common names
Pointy-leaf Amaranth
Boggabri Weed
Etymology
Amaranthus from the Greek 'a' meaning not and 'marantos' meaning withering, a name used for an everlasting flower. Cuspidifolius from the Latin 'cuspis' meaning point or pointed end and 'folium' meaning leaf.
Distribution and status
Found north of Port Augusta across the arid region of South Australia, growing on rocky (often granite) outcrops, hillsides and crevices and in creek lines in sandy to gravelly soil or in areas of gypseous soils along drainage lines with other ephemerals. Also found in Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect or decumbent annual or ephemeral herb to 50 cm high. Leaves on petioles to 35 mm long, oblong to elliptic or ovate to 40 mm long and 12 mm wide. Inflorescence of axillary clusters of predominantly female flowers. Fruits are clusters of globular, papery capsules to 2 mm long. Seeds are semi-flat round, black seed less than 1 mm across. Seed embryo type is peripheral.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and December. Collect mature capsules, those that are turning a pale straw colour and contain black seeds. Whole stem containing many clusters of fruit can be collected. Place the capsules/stems in a tray and leave to dry for two weeks. Then rub the capsules/stems gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Be very careful as the seeds are very small. 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 95%. Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 12,900 (8.65 g) 12,900 (8.65 g) | 8-May-2007 | RJB71580 Lake Eyre | 1-Aug-2007 | 95% | -18°C | |
| BGA | 318,000 (12.53 g) | 30-Aug-2016 | JRG398 Lake Eyre | 1-Nov-2017 | 100% | -18°C | |
| BGA | 7,300 (2.87 g) | 10+ | 22-Jul-2017 | KHB927 North Western | 30-Jun-2018 | 95% | -18°C |
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.