Botanical art
Common names
Spring Burr
Etymology
Dissocarpus from the Greek 'dissos' meaning two fold and 'carpos' meaning fruit, referring to the paired fruits of the original species. Fontinalis meaning from fountains or springs, alluding to its habitat often near a spring.
Distribution and status
Found scattered across the north-eastern part of South Australia, often growing near springs. Also found in Queensland and New South Wales. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Queensland. Uncommon in New South Wales.
Herbarium regions: Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Rounded perennial to 60 cm high with slender, woolly branches. Leaves slender, semi-terete to 10 cm long, covered in woolly hairs. Flowers in dense woolly clusters, perianth narrow-cylindrical, the upper third divided into erect narrowly triangular lobes. Flowering possibly throughout the year. Fruits are a persistent woody ball with irregularly shaped flattened or spine-like spikes protruding out of the thick hair covering. Seed embryo type is peripheral.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and December. Collect fruit that are large and hard from the plant or off the ground. Place the fruits in a tray and leave to dry for 1-2 weeks. No further cleaning is required if only the fruits are collected. Store the dried fruit heads with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Germination by seed scarification (covering structure removed).
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 1,600 (297 g) 1,600 (297 g) | 50+ | 20-Sep-2016 | JRG444 Lake Eyre | 1-Nov-2017 | 100% | -18°C |