Botanical art
Prior names
Pultenaea graveolens var. glabrescens
Common names
Scented Bush-pea
Etymology
Pultenaea named after Richard Pulteney (1730 � 1801), an English physician, botanist and biographer of Carl Linnaeus. Graveolens from the Latin 'gravis' meaning heavy and 'oleo' meaning smell; alluding to the plants having strong perfume.
Distribution and status
Found in the southern Flinders Range and the southern Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia, with a single record from Kangaroo Island, growing in dry sclerophyll woodland. Also found in Victoria. Native. Rare in South Australia. Rare in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Resinous, strongly perfumed shrub to 1.5 m high with pendulous branches and terete stems covered with short, spreading hairs. Leaves alternate, ovate, to 25 mm long and 3 mm wide, apex acute, not pungent, upper surface with pale hairs, lower surface scabrous with tubercle-based hairs, darker than upper surface. Inflorenscences axillary toward tips of short, lateral branches with yellow pea-flowers. Flowering in October. Fruits are hairy brown ovoid pod. Seeds are shiny black reniform seed to 4 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, with a cream aril. Seed embryo type is bent.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds during December. Collect maturing pods, those that are brown or turning brown and contain hard black seeds inside. 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 three collections, the seed viability were average to high, ranging from 60% to 100%. 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.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA | 680 (2.35 g) | 20+ | 10-Dec-2007 | PJA162 Southern Lofty | 19-Sep-2008 | 100% | -18°C |
| BGA | 18,000 (31.43 g) | 50+ | 14-Dec-2007 | KHB117 Southern Lofty | 19-Sep-2008 | 60% | -18°C |
| BGA MSB | 3,200 (12.6 g) 3,200 (12.6 g) | 250+ | 16-Dec-2007 | KHB97B Flinders Ranges | 19-Sep-2008 | 85% | -18°C |
| BGA | 14,600 (44.71 g) | 30+ | 7-Jan-2008 | TST677 Southern Lofty | 1-Jan-2012 | -18°C | |
| BGA | 4,920 (12.23 g) | 24-Dec-2014 | Phil Collins Southern Lofty | 1-Jan-2016 | 70% | -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.