Prior names
Erechtites hispidula, partly
Etymology
Senecio from the Latin 'senex' meaning an old man; referring to the white pappus attached to the seed. Macrocarpus from the Latin 'macros' meaning large and 'carpos' meaning fruit, referring to its large fruit relative to the plant.
Distribution and status
Found scattered from the southern Flinders Ranges, Yorke Peninsula, Mt. Lofty Ranges to the upper south-east in South Australia, in a variety of habitats including grasslands, sedgelands, shrublands and woodlands, often in depressions that are waterlogged in winter, on sandy loam to heavy clay soils. Also found in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Very rare in the other states. Vulnerable under the EPBC Act.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect or sprawling herb or small shrub to 70 cm high arising from a perennial rootstock. Leaves linear to 10 cm long and 5mm wide, grey-green, covered with fine hairs, with margins entire or finely dentate. Inflorescence a cyme with 2-10 yellow, rayless florets. Florets cylindric but long-tapered toward apex to 6 mm long and surrounded by linear, pointed bracts. Flowering between September and November. Fruits are large white fluffy daisy-head. Seeds are pale brown cylindrical to 5 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, covered in short hairs with long pappus. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between September to March. 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. Seed viability is high.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 13,000 (6.4 g) 13,000 (6.4 g) | 100+ | 12-Oct-2005 | DJD141 South Eastern | 14-Sep-2006 | 90% | +5°C, -18°C |
BGA | 21,700 (6.24 g) | 50 | 18-Sep-2007 | RJB74668 South Eastern | 19-Sep-2008 | 100% | +5°C, -18°C |
BGA | 8,350 (2.58 g) | 50+ | 15-Sep-2011 | DJD2242 South Eastern | 1-Nov-2012 | 44% | -18°C |
BGA | 5,240 (25.62 g) | 1-Oct-2013 | KHB306 Flinders Ranges | 24-Mar-2015 | 95% | +5°C, -18°C | |
BGA | 12,145 (5.83 g) | 1-Oct-2014 | KHB306 Flinders Ranges | 1-Jan-2016 | 95% | -18°C | |
BGA | 15,000 (8.86 g) | 9 | 1-Oct-2018 | KHB306 Flinders Ranges | 24-Apr-2019 | 80% | -18°C, -80°C |
BGA | 68,600 (34.13 g) | 50+ | 25-Sep-2018 | JRG689 South Eastern | 24-Apr-2019 | 85% | -18°C, -80°C |
BGA | 5,400 (3.380 g) | 50+ | 30-Oct-2022 | Messent CP South Eastern | 20-Jun-2023 | 85% | -18°C |