Plants of
South Australia
Beyeria lechenaultii
Euphorbiaceae
Pale Turpentine Bush,
Felted Wallaby-bush
Display all 21 images
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
Enlarge Map
Copy Map
Copy Map
Display IBRA region text

Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 5

Prior names

Beyeria lechenaultii f. pernettioides

Beyeria lechenaultii f. eloeagnoides

Beyeriopsis latifolia

Beyeria latifolia

Hemistema lechenaultii

Calyptrostigma ledifolium

Beyeria viscosa

Beyeria opaca var. linearis

Beyeria leschenaultii, orth.var.(orig.)

Beyeria lechenaultii var. rosmarinoides

Beyeria lechenaultii var. ledifolia

Beyeria lechenaultii var. latifolia

Common names

Pale Turpentine Bush

Felted Wallaby-bush

Etymology

Beyeria named after the Rudolf Beyer (1852-1932), a Dutch cryptogamist. Lechenaultii named after Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour (1773-1826), a French botanist on the 1800-1804 Baudin expedition to Australia.

Distribution and status

Found across the southern part of South Australia growing along the coast forming a low shrub layer or inland, scattered through the mallees. Also found in Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Nullarbor, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Green sticky dioecious shrubs with ascending branches to 150 cm high, slender, with viscid angles and lines of white hairs. Leaves very variable, linear to lanceolate to 20 mm long and 7 mm wide; obtuse, truncate or rounded at the summit. Base attenuated into a distinct petiole to 2 mm long, margins more or less recurved, shiny and green above. Leaves have white hairs beneath except on the narrow conspicuous midrib; the lateral veins are obscure. Calyx has 5 overlapping glabrous sticky lobes, without petals; bracts triangular to 0.5 mm long, brown, leathery, sticky. Male flowers in groups of 1-3 in the leaf axils on slender more or less sticky peduncles. Light-green to yellow or white, reddened in parts, pubescent at the base and more or less glutinous. Flowering between September and November. Fruits are dark green ovoid or globular capsule to 7 mm long, containing 3 seed. Seeds are mottled brown oblong seed oblong to 5 mm long and 3 mm wide, topped by a yellow fleshy aril. Seed embryo type is spatulate.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between November and January. Collect maturing capsules, fat, green and containing dark, hard seed. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for a week or two. Then gently rub the capsules with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieves 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. Seed viability can be variable and seeds are prone to predation. This species is generally difficult to germinate, it has morphophysiological dormancy and complex germination requirement.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA1,800 (19.79 g)1-Oct-2017S091116MU
Murray
30-Jun-201840%-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.