Botanical art
Prior names
Cotula filifolia
Common names
Slender Cotula
Etymology
Cotula from the Medieval Latin 'cotula', which is from the Greek 'kotyle' meaning a small cup; referring to the shape of the involucre. Vulgaris from the Latin 'vulgare' meaning Vulgaris from Latin meaning common or ordinary. Australasica means of or from Australasia, alluding to the variety distribution in the southern hemisphere.
Distribution and status
Found in the southern part of South Australia from the Eyre Peninsula to the lower South-east, growing on damp saline areas in coastal saltmarshes and salt lake. Also found in Victoria and Tasmania (and New Zealand). Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Tasmania. Common in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect or ascending annual herb to 20 cm high with stems sparsely branched, glabrous. Leaves narrow-linear to filiform, to 4 cm long and 1 mm wide, sheathing at base, entire, glabrous except for hairs on base. Flower heads to 5 mm diameter, terminal and axillary with yellow rayless daisy flower. Flowering between August and November. Fruits are dense orange brown head. Seeds are brown ovoid. Seed embryo type is spatulate.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and January. Collect heads that are drying off and turning brown, mature seeds should fall off easily. Place the heads in a tray for a week to dry. Then rub the heads gently with your hands or a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Be careful as the seeds are very small. 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 are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSB | 21,000 (1.66 g) | 30+ | 1-Oct-2007 | RJB74566 South Eastern | 100% |
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.