Botanical art
Prior names
Pultenaea canaliculata var. canaliculata
Pultenaea canaliculata var. latifolia
Common names
Coast Bush-pea
Soft Bush-pea
Etymology
Pultenaea named after Richard Pulteney (1730 – 1801), an English physician, botanist and biographer of Carl Linnaeus. Canaliculata from the Latin 'canaliculatus' meaning with small grooves; referring to the upward curving leaves forming a deep groove.
Distribution and status
Found in the southern part of South Australia, on the southern Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Mount Lofty Ranges and the upper South-east, growing on coastal dunes and limestone cliffs. Also found in Victoria. Native. Uncommon in South Australia. Rare in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Rigid, spreading shrub to 2 m high with terete stems covered in dense silky hairs. Leaves alternate, terete, to 12 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, margins curved upwards, both surface densely hairy, stalk appressed to stem. Inflorescence terminal clusters of 2–4 yellow, orange and pea-flowers, often partially hidden among dense leaves. Flowering between September to November. Fruits are hairy brown ovoid pod to 5 mm long. Seeds are brown with black mottled reniform seed to 2.5 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, with a cream aril. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and January. Collect maturing pods, those that are brown or turning brown and contain hard seeds inside. Might have to search for the pods as it can be partially hidden among dense leaves. Place the pods in a paper bag and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the pods with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve 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. From one collection, the seed viability was high, at 95%. This species has physical dormancy that needs to be overcome for the seed to germinate. The seed coat needs to be ruptured so that water can enter the seed before germination can occur. Methods to rupture the seed coat include scarification with sand paper or nicking the seed coat with a sharp blade or hot water treatment by immersion in boiling water.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 500 (1.2 g) 1,200 (2.94 g) | 100+ | 18-Dec-2015 | DJD3311 Kangaroo Island | 2-May-2017 | 95% | -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.