Botanical art
Prior names
Acrotriche ramiflora
Froebelia fasciculiflora
Styphelia fasciculiflora
Common names
Pink Ground-berry
Mount Lofty Ground-berry
Etymology
Acrotriche from the Greek 'akron' meaning summit and 'thrix' meaning hair, alluding to the tuft of hairs at the tip of the corolla lobes. Fasciculiflora from the Latin 'fasciculus' meaning clustered or grouped together in bundles and 'florus' meaning flower, referring to the clustered inflorescence.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found on Kangaroo Island and the southern Mount Lofty Ranges, growing in open dry sclerophyll forest. Native. Uncommon in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Rigid shrub to 150 cm high, with young branches red-brown and older stems grey. Leaves lanceolate to 12 mm long and 4 mm wide, with acute tip and obtuse base with margins and surfaces covered in fine hairs. Inflorescence in clusters with small pale-pink flowers. Flowering between August and October. Fruits are fleshy reddish globular seeds to 3 mm diameter, easily splitting to form 4 or 5 wedge seeds. Seeds are pale-brown wedge-shaped to 2.5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is linear underdeveloped.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and January. Lift branches carefully to locate the fruits. Collect berries that are reddish and soft, with a hard seed inside. Place the berries in a bucket of water and rub the flesh off with your hands. Drain the water and wash again if required to remove all the flesh. Then spread the wet seeds on some paper towel 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. Seed viability is usually high. This species is generally difficult to germinate, it has morpho-physiological dormancy and complex germination requirements.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 12,100 (11.94 g) 16,000 (11.5 g) | 50+ | 20-Nov-2004 | DJD39 Southern Lofty | 28-Mar-2006 | 60% | -18°C |
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.