Prior names
Erysimum richardsii
Scambopus richardsii
Sisymbrium richardsii
Blennodia richardsii
Common names
Nullarbor Cress
Richard's Cress
Etymology
Phlegmatospermum from the Greek 'phlegma' meaning inflammation and 'sperma' meaning a seed, referring to the mucous seeds. Richardsii named after Annie Frances Richards (1845-1930), who lived at Fowlers Bay, South Australia and collected plants for Mueller.
Distribution and status
Found on the Nullarbor in South Australia, growing on sandy soil in open moss covered mallee, Also found in Western Australia. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Very rare in Western Australia.
Herbarium regions: Nullarbor, Eyre Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect annual herbs to 20 cm tall, covered in hairs. Basal leaves obovate, to 7 cm long, dentate to entire. Stem leaves obovate to oblanceolate, to 4 cm long, shallowly lobed or entire. Inflorescence an elongated spike with yellow flowers. Flowering between July and September. Fruits are brown elliptic to ovate pod to 1 cm long, scarcely winged or notched; valves hairy. Seeds are orange reniform seed to 1.5 mm long and 1.2 mm wide, with very fine tubercules. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September and November. Collect maturing pods, those turning pale brown with hard seeds inside. Be gentle with the pods as they split open easily. Place the pods in a tray and cover with paper to prevent seeds from popping out and leave to dry for a week. Then rub the dried pods gently 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 one collection, the seed viability was high, at 90%.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 7,100 (5.86 g) 7,100 (5.86 g) | 200+ | 15-Sep-2009 | DJD1525 Nullarbor | 1-Jun-2010 | 90% | +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.