Botanical art
Common names
Native Pear
Desert Cynanchum
Etymology
Cynanchum from the Greek 'kyon' meaning a dog and 'anchein' meaning to choke; alluding to supposed poisonous properties of some European species. Floribundum from the Latin 'flora' meaning flower and 'bundum' meaning plenty.
Distribution and status
Found in the north-eastern part of South Australia, growing on sandy soils, along drainage lines and dunes. Also found in Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. Native. Common in South Australia. Uncommon in New South Wales. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Shrubs with twining branches to 1 m high, new growth pubescent. Leaves ovate to narrow-lanceolate, to 90 mm long and 30 mm wide, apex long-acuminate, base cuneate to cordate, glabrous, mostly with 2 basal glands, petiole to 30 mm long. Inflorescence axillary or terminal with 2-12 creamy above, greenish to purplish below flowers. Flowering and fruiting between March and November. Fruits are pale brown ovoid capsule to 5 cm long, pubescent, thin-walled, splitting into two. Seeds are brown ovoid seed to 6 mm long and 4 mm wide with long dense pappus.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between August and November. Collect fruits that are maturing, fat, hard, turning pale brown and contain fluffy seeds. Place the fruit in a tray and leave to dry for at least two weeks until it split. Then shake the fruits to release the seeds. No further cleaning is required. 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 | 2,150 (38.05 g) | 50+ | 1-Oct-2007 | MJT135 Lake Eyre | 85% |
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.