Prior names
Olearia sp. Arckaringa (P.J.Lang BSOP-422)
Common names
Arckaringa Daisy
Etymology
Olearia named after Johann Gottfried Ölschläger (1603-1671), 17th century German horticulturist and author of a flora of Halle in Germany (his name was latinized to Olearius). Alternatively, it maybe from the Latin 'olearius' pertaining to oil, from 'olea', for olive tree; alluding to the first named species resembling the olive. Arckaringensis named after the location where the species is found, Arckaringa Hills. This name is thought to have been derived from an Aboriginal name, but origin and meaning is not known.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found only in the Arckaringa Hills, growing in soft, eroding upper slopes of a dissected breakaway escarpment on powdery orchre-coloured gravel and gypsum crystals. Native. Very rare in south Australia.
Herbarium region: Lake Eyre
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Small, compact long-lived perennial shrub to 30 cm high with a woody base and white-woolly stems aging to grey. Leaves elliptic top 27 mm long and 16 mm wide, greyish-white to light greenish-grey, coarsely serrated, undulated. Inflorescence solitary at terminal with large, lavender (occasionally white) daisy flower. Flowering between September to November. Fruits are large fluffy white head. Seeds are brown obovoid seed to 2.5 mm long and 0.6 mm wide, covered with scattered short white hairs and long barbed pappus. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and December. Collect heads that are large and 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. 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 high, ranging from 91% to 100%. 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 3,500 (1.15 g) 3,100 (1 g) | 100+ | 7-Oct-2010 | DJD1886 Lake Eyre | 1-Jan-2012 | 100% | +5°C, -18°C |
BGA | 560 (0.191 g) | 20+ | 24-Sep-2016 | DJD1886 Lake Eyre | 1-Nov-2017 | 91% | -18°C |
BGA | 5,300 (2.03 g) | 7 | 8-Apr-2020 | TST1444 Lake Eyre | 24-Jun-2020 | 95% | -18°C |