Botanical art
Prior names
Blennodia trisecta var. brachycarpa
Arabidella trisecta var. brachycarpa
Common names
Bluish cress
Etymology
Arabidella a diminutive of 'arabis 'which is a Greek word for mustard or cress. Glaucescens from Latin meaning becoming glaucous, alluding to the bluish-green appearance of the plant.
Distribution and status
Found in north and north-eastern parts of South Australia growing in a wide variety of habitats, especially disturbed areas. Also found in the Northern Territory and Queensland. Native. Common in South Australia. Uncommon in the Northern Territory. Common in Queensland.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Woody, rounded perennial shrub to 1 m tall, glabrous with a blue-green appearance. Leaves bi- or trisected to 7 cm long, segments linear. Flowers are white to cream along a long spike. Flowering between June and October. Fruits are numerous fat semi-flat ovoid pods on a long spike. Seeds are small semi-flat yellow reniform seeds to 1.1 mm long and 0.7 mm wide. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between August and December. Pick off pods that are maturing, drying off and turning brown, with yellow seeds inside or break off section of the spike with mature pods. Place the pods in a tray and cover with paper to prevent seeds from popping out and leave to dry for a week. Then gently rub the pods 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 three collections the seed viability was high, ranging from 80% to 100%. This species has physiological dormancy that need to be overcome for the seed to germinate.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 5,200 (1.98 g) 2,800 (1.05 g) | 28-Aug-2008 | DJD1149 Lake Eyre | 20-Jul-2009 | 100% | -18°C | |
| BGA | 7,000 (0.64 g) | 20 | 20-Aug-2010 | KHB457 Flinders Ranges | 1-Jan-2012 | 80% | -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.