Botanical art
Common names
Bell-fruit Bluebush
Etymology
'Maireana', after the 19th century French botanist, Adolphe Lemaire, 'campanulata', meaning bell-shaped, pertaining to the fruit shape.
Distribution and status
Found on rocky slopes or well-drained, stony soils in the Flinders Ranges region and northern areas of the State. Native, also recorded in Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Flinders Ranges
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Small shrub to 60 cm high; branchlets with pale-fawn curled, shortly-branched hairs; leaves slender, 8-15 mm long, fleshy, glaucous and glabrous. Flowers solitary; bisexual, glabrous.
Fruits are fruiting perianth glabrous; tube cup-shaped and spongy; wing thin, horizontal; entire, very narrow, approximately 10 mm diameter with no radial slit. Fruits and flowers July to November. Seeds are seed ellipsoid - ovoid, convex brown seed Seed embryo type is peripheral
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between July and November. Collect dry, papery fruits. Check that they contain well-developed seeds before making a collection. Shake or strip fruits into a vessel. Remove twigs and other plant material.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 1,700 (38.89 g) 1,700 (38.89 g) | 26-Aug-2008 | DJD1110 Lake Eyre | 20-Jul-2009 | 80% | -18°C | |
| BGA MSB | 3,150 (19.22 g) 3,150 (19.22 g) | 100+ | 29-Aug-2008 | DJD1156 Lake Eyre | 20-Jul-2009 | 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.