Botanical art
Prior names
Leptorrhynchus tenuifolius, orth.var.
Common names
Wiry Buttons
Etymology
Leptorhynchos from the Greek 'leptos' meaning slender and 'rhynchos' meaning a snout; alluding to the beaked achenes of some species. Tenuifolius from the Latin 'tenuis' meaning thin, slender and 'folium' meaning a leaf.
Distribution and status
Found in the lower South-east in South Australia, growing in open swampy areas in sandy soils. Also found in Victoria. Native. Rare in South Australia. Common in Victoria.
Herbarium region: South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Perennial herb to 40 cm high with wiry, much-branched stems, erect to ascending covered in hairs. Leaves linear, to 4 cm long (basal leaves to 15 cm) and 1 mm wide (basal leaves to 3 mm wide), acute, upper surface glabrous, lower surface densely cottony, margins recurved. Flower-heads obconical, to 5 mm diameter; outer involucral bracts linear, transparent with brown tip, margins with dense, spreading cottony cilia; inner bracts like outer ones but with long, herbaceous glandular claws; florets bright yellow. Flowering between November and March. Fruits are white fluffy daisy-head. Seeds are black oblong-elipical seed to 2 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, smooth surface with few long feathered-like papus at one end. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between December and April. 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 two collections, the seed viability was average to high, ranging between 75% to 90%.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA | 11,000 (1.1 g) | 50 | 23-Feb-2008 | RJB77418 South Eastern | 19-Sep-2008 | 90% | +5°C, -18°C |
| BGA MSB | 7,000 (0.76 g) 7,000 (0.76 g) | 50+ | 7-Jan-2008 | TST284 South Eastern | 19-Sep-2008 | 75% | +5°C, -18°C |
| BGA | 3,900 (0.27 g) | 10-Dec-2009 | DJD1774 South Eastern | 27-Feb-2014 | 95% | -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.