Botanical art
Prior names
Xanthosia dissecta var. floribunda
Etymology
Xanthosia from the Greek 'xanthos' meaning yellow; referring to the colour of the hairs of some species or to the flower colour of the type specimen. Leiophylla from the Greek 'leios' meaning smooth and 'phyllon' meaning a leaf; referring to the species glabrous leaves.
Distribution and status
Found on the southern Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, southern Mount Lofty Ranges and the South-east in South Australia, growing in sandy heathland and heathy woodland. Also found in Victoria. Native. Uncommon in South Australia. Rare in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Tufted herb or weak subshrub to 15 cm high with procumbent or ascending branches. Leaves mostly basal with leaf blade to 50 mm long and wide, usually glabresent, bi- or tri-ternately dissected. Inflorescence on long stalk to 40 mm long, in umbell of 3-6 small reddish flowers. Flowering in spring and summer. Fruits are pale brown clusters containing numerous finely ribbed seeds Seed embryo type is linear under-developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and February. Collect maturing fruits by picking off clusters that are turning pale brown with a hard seed inside. Place the fruits in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the fruits with a rubber bung 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.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSB | 1,100 (0.73 g) | 50 | 29-Jan-2006 | DJD344 Southern Lofty |