Botanical art
Prior names
Zichya latrobeana
Common names
Clover Glycine
Etymology
Glycine from the Greek 'glykys', meaning sweet, referring to the sweet roots and leaves of some species of the Glycine (soybean) genus. Latrobeana named after Charles La Trobe (1801-1875), superintendent of the Port Phillip District of Victoria and the first Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria in 1851.
Distribution and status
Found in the southern Flinders Ranges, southern Mount Lofty Ranges and the South-east in South Australia, growing in grasslands and grassy woodlands on heavy soils. Also found in Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Rare in South Australia. Rare in the other States.
Herbarium regions: Northern Lofty, Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Decumbent or ascending herb with hairy, short, non-stoloniferous stems. Leaves palmately trifoliate, dimorphic; leaflets sessile to subsessile; upper surface glabrous, lower surface silky; elliptic. Inflorescence a raceme with 3-8 deep purple pea-flowers. Flowering between September and December. Fruits are dark brown to black hairy, linear-lanceolate pod to 25 mm long and 5 mm wide. Seeds are brown ovoid seed to 3 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and January. The pods of this pea change colour from pale green to a dark brown when mature. The seed pods twist and burst apart expelling the seeds when fully ripe so timing of seed collections is important. Monitor fruits closely, bag maturing fruits or place groundsheets under plants to catch seeds . Alternatively, the pods can be harvested close to maturity (when they turn brown) and fully dried in a warm area. Place the pods in a tray and cover with paper to prevent seeds popping out and leave to dry for a week. 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 one collection, the seed viability was high, at 90%. 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 | 1,200 (10.36 g) | 100+ | 4-Dec-2007 | TST244 Southern Lofty | 90% | ||
| BGA | 344 (3.985 g) | 30 | 22-Dec-2020 | P. Faast Southern Lofty | 28-Jun-2021 | 96% | -18°C |
| BGA | 990 (8.213 g) | 50 | 10-Dec-2021 | TST244 Southern Lofty | 7-Jul-2022 | 100% | -18°C |
| BGA | 730 (6.770 g) | 100 | 23-Dec-2020 | TST244 Southern Lofty | 7-Jul-2022 | 94% | -18°C |
| BGA | 160 (1.435 g) | 50+ | 15-Jan-2023 | BKB165 Southern Lofty | 20-Jun-2023 | 80% | -18°C |
| BGA | 156 (1.346 g) | 50+ | 25-Jan-2023 | DJD4173 Southern Lofty | 20-Jun-2023 | 94% | -18°C |
| BGA | 2,140 (18.192 g) | 50+ | 10-Dec-2022 | TST244 Southern Lofty | 20-Jun-2023 | 96% | -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.