Botanical art
Prior names
Daviesia benthamii ssp. acanthoclona
Daviesia genistifolia var. colletioides
Daviesia nudula
Daviesia acanthoclona
Daviesia benthamii ssp. benthamii, partly
Common names
Few-spine Bitter-pea
Dryland Bitter-pea
Etymology
Daviesia named after the Rev. Hugh Davies (1739-1821), a Welsh botanist and an Anglican clergyman. Aphylla from the Greek 'a' meaning without and 'phyllon' meaning leaf, referring to leaf-less stems or if present, reduced to scales.
Distribution and status
Foud in the central part of South Australia from the Nullarbor to the Riverland, growing on a variety of soils in eucalyptus dominated heath, woodland and mallee. Also found in Western Australia. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in Western Australia.
Herbarium regions: Nullarbor, Eyre Peninsula, Murray
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect bushy shrub to 2 m high with glabrous, dull green to yellowish stems. Phyllodes occuring only near the apex of new season stems and reduced to scales at the lower nodes, pungent-tipped, to 25 mm long and 1.75 mm diameter, rigid, smooth or with faintly ribbed. Inflorescence 1 spike per axil with 4 to many orange to red pea-flowers. Flowering between August and October. Fruits are broad obovate to obtriangular pod to 7 mm long and 6 mm wide, strongly compressed, red to pale brown at maturity. Seeds are orange to brown with black mottle, reniform seed to 3.5 mm long and 2 mm wide. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and December. Collect maturing brown seed pods from the plant using secateurs or by hand. Plant is prickly so it is advisable to wear gloves. Leave the pods in a paper bag to dry for at least a week. Rub the pods gently with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the seeds from unwanted material. Store the dried fruit heads with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice, in an air tight container in a cool and dry place. From one collection, 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 | 1,300 (5.05 g) 1,300 (5.05 g) | 30 | 18-Dec-2017 | JRG632 Eyre Peninsula | 30-Jun-2018 | 100% | -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.