Botanical art
Prior names
Psoralea microcephala
Psoralea adscendens
Common names
Dusky Scurf-pea
Mountain Scurf-pea
Etymology
Cullen named after William Cullen (1710-1790), a Scottish physician and chemist who lectured at the University of Glasgow on botany, among other things . Microcephalum from the Greek 'mikros' meaning small and 'cephalum' meaning head, referring to the species small flower-heads.
Distribution and status
Known only from one location near Mount Gambier in South Australia growing in moist shady grassy woodland. Also found in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Very rare in South Australia. Rare in Tasmania. Uncommon in Victoria and New South Wales.
Herbarium region: South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Trailing or ascending perennial herb with stems to 80 cm long, glabrous or with sparse appressed dark hairs, gland-dotted. Leaves to 15 cm long, palmately 3-foliate; leaflets lanceolate to ovate-oblong to 7 cm long and 20 mm wide; apex acute, margins entire; upper surface dotted with dark glands. Flower-spike clustered at tip with mauve-purple, pink or white pea-flowers. Pods c. 3 mm long, glabrous, wrinkled, black. Flowering between November to April. Fruits are black ovoid pod to 3 mm long, with one seed inside. Seeds are black globular seed to 3 mm long and 2 mm wide, with a deep wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and April. Collect maturing pods, those that are fat, turning black and contain a brown seed inside, by running your hands along the fruit-spikes. Place the pods in a tray and leave to dry for 1 to 2 weeks or until the pods begin to split. Then rub the dried pods to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate any 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. From two collections, the seed viability was high, at 100%. This species has physical dormancy that needs to be overcome for the seed to germinate (e.g. nicking or softening the seed coat).
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 590 (2.46 g) 1,100 (4.62 g) | 80 | 10-Jan-2007 | TJH3 South Eastern | 1-Aug-2007 | 100% | -18°C |
BGA | 4,400 (21.61 g) | 50+ | 8-Jan-2008 | TJH3 South Eastern | 19-Sep-2008 | 100% | -18°C |
BGA | 5,400 (22.38 g) | 200+ | 15-Jan-2013 | DJD2623 South Eastern | 27-Feb-2014 | 72% | -18°C |
BGA | 770 (3.137 g) | 20+ | 14-Feb-2023 | Honans NFR South Eastern | 20-Jun-2023 | 94% | -18°C |
BGA | 820 (3.366 g) | 30+ | 14-Feb-2023 | DJD4199 South Eastern | 20-Jun-2023 | 94% | -18°C |
BGA | 26,500 (84.290 g) | 100+ | 14-Feb-2023 | DJD4197 South Eastern | 20-Jun-2023 | 50% | -18°C, -80°C |