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
| Witjira (STP06) | Stony Plains | Vulnerable (IUCN: VU D2) [restricted to mound springs; endemic to SA] |
Etymology
'Sclerolaena' from the Greek skleros, meaning hard, and chlaina, meaning covering, referring to the hard fruiting perianth covering the seed; fontinalis meaning from fountains or springs and pertains to its habitat near mound springs.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia, localised near Dalhousie Springs. Rare in South Australia
Herbarium region: Lake Eyre
NRM region: South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Compact rounded shrub to 30 centimetres high with fleshy green leaves, covered with white woolly hairs. Fruits are woody, hairy fruit with 5 spines; attachment basal, circular, 0.5-0.8 mm diam. Seeds are ellipsoid to circular, brown, convex seed Seed embryo type is peripheral
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds from shrubs when they are mature and easily detached. Remove twigs, leaves and other material using a sieve. Leave fruits to dry before storage
| Location | No. of seeds
(weight grams) | Number
of plants | Date
collected | Collection number
Collection location | Date
stored | % Viability | Storage
temperature | | BGA | 27,000 (128.92 g) | 30+ | 1-Sep-2015 | JRG322
Lake Eyre | 2-May-2017 | 65% | +5°C, -18°C, -80°C |
BGA
MSB | 3,800 (20.28 g)
3,800 (20.28 g) | 10 | 3-Sep-2015 | JRG335
Lake Eyre | 2-May-2017 | 95% | +5°C, -18°C, -80°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 |
| Jul-16 | 12% | 21 | NA |
500 mg/L gibberellic acid 24 h;
1% agar;
Incubated under spring/autumn conditions |
| Jul-16 | 0% | NA | NA |
leached in water 72 h;
1% agar;
Incubated under spring/autumn conditions |
| Jul-16 | 0% | NA | NA |
1% agar;
Incubated under spring/autumn 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)
