Botanical art
Prior names
Chenopodium preissii
Common names
Green Saltbush
Mallee Saltbush
Etymology
Greek 'rhagos' berry, 'rhagodes' resembling berries and 'preissii' after the 19th century Australian plant collector Johann August Ludwig Preiss
Distribution and status
Found on coastal sand dunes, limestone, red sand, loam, clay, sandy clay, sometimes saline soils.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Spreading shrub, 0.6-2 m high. Leaves linear to narrowly obovate, leathery, 3-4cm long. Inflorescence a pyramidal panicle 5 cm long; flowers spherical, 1 mm in diameter, green, yellow, white. Flowering June - December. Fruits are berry depressed-spherical, 3 mm, red, fleshy when mature Seeds are seed, black, depressed-globose, 1.5 mm in diameter, testa with faint radial ribbing Seed embryo type is peripheral
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September and December. Collect when fruits are red and fleshy. Dry fruits thoroughly, as they are prone to rotting. Germination 80% on 1% w/v agar, 8/16 dark/light, 20°C. See http://data.kew.org/sid
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 40,000 (42.32 g) 40,000 (42.32 g) | 40+ | 28-Oct-2004 | MOL4662 Gairdner-Torrens | 28-Mar-2006 | 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.