Common names
Lake Acraman Button-daisy
Etymology
Leptorhynchos from the Greek 'leptos' meaning slender and 'rhynchos' meaning a snout; alluding to the beaked achenes of some species. Melanocarpa from the Greek 'melas' meaning dark, black and 'carpos' meaning fruit; referring to the black achenes.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found only at Lake Acraman on the northern Eyre Peninsula, growing on gypseous mounds. More abundant after heavy rains. Native. Very rare in South Australia.
Herbarium region: Eyre Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Annual herb to to 50 cm high. Leaves terete, grey-tomentose. Florets yellow, long hairy bracts. Flowering in winter and spring. Fruits are white fluffy daisy-head with black seeds. Seeds are black oblong-elliptic seeds to 2 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, with a tubercule surface. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September and November. Collect heads that are fluffy. Either pick off the whole heads or use your finger and pull off the seeds from the head. Mature seeds will come off easily. Place the heads in a tray for a week to dry. No cleaning is required if only pure seeds are collected. If heads are collected, then rub the heads gently with your hands to dislodge the seeds. Viable seeds will be fat and hard. 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 100%.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 50,000 (9.9 g) 14,500 (2.6 g) | 300+ | 19-Sep-2009 | DJD1587 Gairdner-Torrens | 1-Jun-2011 | 100% | +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.