Common names
Kangaroo Island Pennywort
Etymology
Hydrocotyle from the Greek 'hydro' meaning water and 'kotyle' meaning a dish or plate; alluding to the shape of the leaves which are slightly depressed in the centre. Diantha from the Greek 'dis' meaning twice and 'anthos' meaning flower.
Distribution and status
Found only on the tip of the Yorke Peninsula and the western end on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, growing in swamp flats and heath under Melaleuca and Hakea thickets. Also found in Western Australia. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Common in Western Australia.
Herbarium regions: Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Tiny prostrate annual herb spreading to 10 cm wide but not rooting at the nodes. Leaves to 5 mm wide with 5-7 lobes. Flowers tiny yellowish green. Flowering between September and November. Fruits are yellow-orange cluster of tiny fruits each with two seed segments. Seeds are orange wedge-shaped seed to 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, with 3 slender ribs and a wing along the outer edge. Seed embryo type is linear under-developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and December. Collect maturing fruits by picking off the clusters that are turning yellow-orange. 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. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 85%.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA | 7,800 (1.77 g) | 100+ | 15-Oct-2009 | DJD1626 Yorke Peninsula | 1-Jun-2010 | 85% | +5°C, -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.