Prior names
Hibbertia acicularis
Etymology
Hibbertia, named after George Hibbert (1757-1837), a London merchant who maintained a private botanic garden at Chelsea. Obtusibracteata from the Latin 'obtusus', meaning blunted and 'bractea' meaning thin plate, referring to the obtuse bracts found in this species.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found only on Kangaroo Island, growing on laterite or often on ironstone in scrub vegetation or mallee heath. Native. Rare in South Australia.
Herbarium region: Kangaroo Island
NRM region: Kangaroo Island
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Much-branched shrublets with glabrous spreading to decumbent branches to 40 cm long. Tomentum absent except for fine tubercules sometimes on leaf surfaces. Leaves without axillary tufts of hairs. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, to 5.6 mm long and 0.75 mm wide; pointed with deciduous terminal bristle on usually slightly incurved protruding central ridge, abruptly constricted into short petiole; upper surface more or less convex; lower with raised revolute margins touching the broad recessed central ridge. Flowers bright yellow on a long stalk to 19.5 mm, on mainly terminal or short shoots, sometimes with only a few reduced leaves, followed by an obtuse to rounded bract to 1.6 mm long and on the lower third of the stalk. Flowering between September and November. Fruits are capsule glabrous with 2 carpels, Seeds are brown, globular seed to 2 mm diameter.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and December. Collect mature capsules, those that are turning a pale straw-colour and contain brown seeds. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the capsules 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. This genus tends to have low seed viability. This species has morpho-physiological dormancy and can be difficult to germinate.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA | 390 (0.362 g) | 30 | 5-Jan-2022 | JRG824 Kangaroo Island | 7-Jul-2022 | 92% | -18°C |