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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
| Kingoonya (GAW05) | Gawler | Rare (IUCN: RA d(i,ii)) [edge of range] |
| Commonwealth Hill (GAW08) | | Near Threatened [edge of range ] |
| Kintore (GVD04) | Great Victoria Desert | Near Threatened [grows on red soils] |
| Tallaringa (GVD05) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) [grows on red soils] |
| Breakaways (STP01) | Stony Plains | Least Concern [grows on red soils] |
| Oodnadatta (STP02) | | Near Threatened [grows on red soils] |
| Baltana (STP07) | | Rare (IUCN: RA d(ii)) [limited habitat] |
| Mann-Musgrave Block (CER01) | Central Ranges | Least Concern [grows on red soils] |
| Everard Block (CER03) | | Least Concern [grows on red soils] |
| Tieyon (FIN03) | Finke | Least Concern [grows on red soils] |
| Pedirka (FIN04) | | Near Threatened [grows on red soils] |
Prior names
Menkea hispidula
Phlegmatospermum villosulum
Capsella villosula
Etymology
Menkea, named after Karl Theodor Menke (1791-1861), a German malacologist, physician and botanist. Villosula, from Latin meaning slightly hairy (diminutive of 'villosus').
Distribution and status
Found in the north-western part of South Australia growing on red sandy, clayey & loamy soils. Also found in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens
NRM regions: Alinytjara Wilurara, South Australian Arid Lands
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Seeds are dark brown ellipsoid seed to 0.6 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, with a slight y wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect maturing pods turning pale brown, with hard seeds inside. Take care 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 100%.
| Location | No. of seeds
(weight grams) | Number
of plants | Date
collected | Collection number
Collection location | Date
stored | % Viability | Storage
temperature | | BGA | 510,000 (27.76 g) | 200+ | 23-Sep-2016 | DJD3467
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 |
| Jun-17 | 100% | 7 | 14 |
500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 24 h;
1% agar;
Incubated under winter conditions |
| Jun-17 | 90% | 7 | 14 |
500 mg/L gibberellic acid for 24 h;
1% agar;
Incubated under spring/autumn conditions |
| Jun-17 | 6% | 7 | NA |
seeds leached in water for 24 h;
1% agar;
Incubated under winter conditions |
| Jun-17 | 0% | NA | NA |
seeds leached in water for 24 h;
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)
