Common names
Mt. Lofty Gorse Bitter-pea
Gorse Bitter-pea
Etymology
Daviesia named after the Rev. Hugh Davies (1739-1821), a Welsh botanist and an Anglican clergyman. Ulicifolia means having foliage like the genus Ulex (gorse). Incarnata from the Latin 'carn' meaning flesh and 'atus' meaning like, referring to the rosy-red to deep orange-red colour of the standard petal.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found mainly in southern Mount Lofty Ranges growing on sandy to rich loam soils high in phosphorous, in undulating hilly to mountainous country. Native. Common in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Murray, Southern Lofty, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Divaricate shrub to 1.8 m high. Leaves narrow-elliptic to -ovate or linear, to 22 mm long and 3 mm wide, upper face convex with mid-rib more prominent than below. Inflorescences 1 or 2 per axil with rosy-red to deep orange-red pea-flowers. This subspecies differs from the other two subspecies found in South Australia in having watery-red to a deep orange-red standard petal, umbellate inflorescence, larger phyllodes and a much larger standard petal. Flowering between September and November. Fruits are brown asymmetrically triangular pod, beaked with the persistent style. Seeds are orange-red with black mottled reniform seed to 7 mm long and 4 mm wide, with a cream aril. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and January. 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.Seed viability can be average. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSB | 1,800 (17.85 g) | 40-50 | 15-Dec-2005 | DJD332 Southern Lofty | |||
| BGA | 2,000 (21.65 g) | 50 | 17-Jan-2006 | PJA123 Southern Lofty | 7-Aug-2006 | 65% | -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.