Plants of
South Australia
Bulbine semibarbata
Asphodelaceae
Leek lily,
Small Leek-lily,
Annual Bulbine-lily
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
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Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
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Extinct
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Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 7

Prior names

Bulbinopsis semibarbata

Anthericum semibarbatum

Common names

Leek lily

Small Leek-lily

Annual Bulbine-lily

Etymology

Bulbine from the Latin 'bulbous' meaning a bulb, referring to the bulb-shaped tuber of many members of this genus. Semibarbata from the Latin 'semi' meaning half and 'barbata' meaning bearded, referring to half of the filaments being bearded.

Distribution and status

Found scattered across South Australia but more common in the central part, especially on Eyre Peninsula, growing on sand, sandy clay, or loam in areas that are wet in winter, such as granite outcrops, creek lines, the margins of salt lakes and along the coast. Also found in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect annual herb to 20 cm tall with cylindrical fleshy basal leaves. Inflorescence a long erect spike with yellow flowers, with the 3 longer inner perianth filaments bearded and 3 other filaments short and glabrous. Flowering between September and November. Distinguished from the other Bulbine species by not having a tuber, no wing around the seeds and half of perianth filaments bearded. Fruits are round capsules less than 5 mm long, containing numerous seeds. Seeds are brown pyramid-shaped seeds to 3mm long with a bumpy surface. Seed embryo type is linear fully developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between October and December. Collect mature capsules, those that are turning a pale straw colour and contain brown seeds. Can collect individual capsules or break off the whole fruit spike. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for two weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand 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. Seed viability is usually high.

Seeds stored:
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LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)		Number
of plants		Date
collected		Collection number
Collection location		Date
stored		% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB		1,000 (1.66 g)
1,000 (1.66 g)		50+26-Oct-2004DJD28
Gairdner-Torrens		28-Mar-2006100%-18°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
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.
Germination table:
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We acknowledge the contributions of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, and the Department for Environment and Water.