Prior names
Brachycome breviscapis
Etymology
Brachyscome from the Greek 'brachys' meaning short and 'kome' meaning hair or fringe, referring to the short bristles or hairs of the pappus. Breviscapis from the Latin 'brevis' meaning short and 'scapus' meaning stalk; referring to the species having a very short stem.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and known only from western Eyre Peninsula, extending from about Coffin Bay in the south to Smoky Bay and Davenport Creek (near Ceduna) in the north, growing on loam or sand over limestone. Native. Rare in South Australia.
Herbarium region: Eyre Peninsula
NRM region: Eyre Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Very small stem-less annual herb to 2 cm high. Leaves in a basal cluster, somewhat succulent, linear and entire or pinnatisect to 2 cm long and 2 mm wide. Daisy flower with white ray florets. Flowering between August and September. Fruits are small brown daisy heads. Seeds are yellow-brown wedge-shaped seed to 2.5 mm long and 1.5 wide, with a cylindrical body and swollen wings with long hairs along the margin. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and December. Pick heads that are maturing, drying off, with brown seeds that dislodge easily. Place the seed-heads in a tray and leave to dry for a week. Then gently rub the heads 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. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 95%.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 3,900 (2.02 g) 1,500 (0.8 g) | 7-Oct-2008 | PJA178 Eyre Peninsula | 1-Jan-2012 | 95% | +5°C, -18°C |