Plants of
South Australia
Leucopogon cordifolius
Epacridaceae
Heart-leaf Beard-heath
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
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Vulnerable
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Arkaroola
Ceduna
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Hawker
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Keith
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 2.

Etymology

Leucopogon, from the Greek 'leukoni', meaning white and 'pogon', meaning beard, alluding to the white-bearded corolla lobes. Cordifolius, from the Latin 'cordis', meaning heart and 'folium', meaning a leaf, referring to the heart-shaped leaves.

Distribution and status

Found on the Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Mount Lofty Ranges, Murraylands and the upper South-east in South Australia, growing in heathlands and heath-mallee woodlands on sand over granite or limestone. Also found in Western Australia and Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Western Australia. Common in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Gairdner-Torrens, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, South Eastern
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect shrub to 150 cm high; branchlets pubescent. Leaves spreading and recurved, heart-shaped, to 7 mm long and 8 mm wide; flat to slightly convex, margins entire to minutely serrate. Inflorescence in axillary spikes to 3.5 mm long, with 1-3 white tubular, densely-bearded flowers. Flowering possibly throughout the year. Fruits are ovoid fleshy fruit to 5.6 mm long and 4.3 mm wide; smooth. Seed embryo type is linear, under-developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between July and November. Collect berries that are white with a hard seed. Place the berries in a bucket of water and leave to soak over night. Rub the flesh off by hand. Drain and wash again if required to remove all the fleshy parts. Then spread the wet seeds onto paper towels and leave to dry. 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 species has morpho-physiological dormancy and is difficult to germinate.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)		Number
of plants		Date
collected		Collection number
Collection location		Date
stored		% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB		1,100 (37 g)
1,100 (37 g)		100+9-Dec-2004DJD78
South Eastern		28-Mar-200680%-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.
We acknowledge the contributions of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, and the Department for Environment and Water.