Botanical art
Prior names
Leucopogon cordifolius
Styphelia rotundifolia
Leucopogon rotundifolius
Common names
Heart-leaf Beard-heath
Etymology
Styphelia from the Greek 'styphelos' meaning hard or rough; alluding to the stiff prickly-pointed leaves. 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, Green Adelaide
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.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 1,100 (37 g) 1,100 (37 g) | 100+ | 9-Dec-2004 | DJD78 South Eastern | 28-Mar-2006 | 80% | -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.