Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
Display IBRA region text
| Northern Flinders (FLB05) | Flinders Lofty Block | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) [edge of range, limited habitat] |
| Myall Plains (GAW01) | Gawler | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) [western limit] |
| Torrens (GAW06) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
| Roxby (GAW07) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) |
| Barrier Range (BHC01) | Broken Hill Complex | Least Concern [outlier] |
| Breakaways (STP01) | Stony Plains | Near Threatened [edge of range] |
| Murnpeowie (STP03) | | Least Concern [grows on heavy clays] |
| Baltana (STP07) | | Least Concern [grows on heavy clays] |
Botanical art
Kath Alcock painting: 1.
Etymology
Dissocarpus from the Greek 'dissos' meaning two fold and 'carpos' meaning fruit, referring to the paired fruits of the original species. Fontinalis meaning from fountains or springs, alluding to its habitat often near a spring.
Distribution and status
Found scattered across the north-eastern part of South Australia, often growing near springs. Also found in Queensland and New South Wales. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Queensland. Uncommon in New South Wales.
Herbarium regions: Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern
NRM region: South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Rounded perennial to 60 cm high with slender, woolly branches. Leaves slender, semi-terete to 10 cm long, covered in woolly hairs. Flowers in dense woolly clusters, perianth narrow-cylindrical, the upper third divided into erect narrowly triangular lobes. Flowering possibly throughout the year. Fruits are a persistent woody ball with irregularly shaped flattened or spine-like spikes protruding out of the thick hair covering. Seed embryo type is peripheral.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and December. Collect fruit that are large and hard from the plant or off the ground. Place the fruits in a tray and leave to dry for 1-2 weeks. No further cleaning is required if only the fruits are collected. Store the dried fruit heads with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. Germination by seed scarification (covering structure removed).
| Location | No. of seeds
(weight grams) | Number
of plants | Date
collected | Collection number
Collection location | Date
stored | % Viability | Storage
temperature | BGA
MSB | 1,600 (297 g)
1,600 (297 g) | 50+ | 20-Sep-2016 | JRG444
Lake Eyre | 1-Nov-2017 | 100% | -18°C |
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
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.
Germination table:
Display
| Date | Result | T0 | T50 | Pre-treatment | Germination medium | Incubator: Photoperiod / Thermoperiod |
| May-17 | 57% | 14 | 49 |
seeds excised from fruit;
1% agar;
Incubated under winter conditions |
| May-17 | 3% | 49 | NA |
1% agar;
Incubated under winter conditions |
Result: Maximum percentage of germination observed.
T0: Number of days before first germinant observed.
T50: Number of days to achieve 50% germination.
Pre-treatment: The initial treatment that the seeds received prior to placement on germination media.
Germination medium: The substrate that seeds were placed on for the duration of the germination experiment.
Incubator conditions:
Photoperiod: The duration of light exposure that the seeds were subject to during a 24 hour period.
Thermoperiod: The constant or diurnal temperatures that seeds were subject to during a 24 hour period.
Winter conditions: 15°C 20 h (3am→11pm); 5°C 4 h (11pm→3am) / 10 h light (8am→6pm); 14 h dark (6pm→8am)
Spring/Autumn conditions: 22°C 12 h (8am→8pm); 10°C 12 h (8pm→8am) / 12 h light (8am→8pm); 12 h dark (8pm→8am)
Summer conditions: 30°C 14 h (6am→8pm); 15°C 10 h (8pm→6am) / 14 h light (6am→8pm); 10 h dark (8pm→6am)
