Plants of
South Australia
Brunonia australis
Goodeniaceae
Blue pincushion,
Tjul#pun-tjul#punpa
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 3

Prior names

Brunonia sericea

Common names

Blue pincushion

Tjul#pun-tjul#punpa

Etymology

Brunonia named after Robert Brown (1773-1858), a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope and accompany Matthew Flinders' expedition to Australia. Austalis from Latin meaning southern, referring to the geographical distribution of the species in southern hemisphere.

Distribution and status

Found in north-west, Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island and the South-east in South Australia, growing in dry sclerophyll forest, woodland and open sand dune communities. Also found in all states. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Tasmania. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Northern Lofty, Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Alinytjara Wilurara, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Hairy, perennial herb with a cluster of basal leaves. Leaves elliptic to spathulate, to 10 cm long, green with silky hairs on both surfaces. Inflorescence round head on a long stalk to 30 cm high, with mid to deep blue flowers. Flowering between October and December. Fruits are pale brown round heads with numerous shuttle-cock like seeds. Seeds are brown seed to 3 mm long. Seed embryo type is linear fully developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between December and February. Collect mature capsules, those that are turning a pale straw colour and contain brown seeds. Can collect individual capsules or break off the whole head. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand 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. Seed viability is usually high.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)		Number
of plants		Date
collected		Collection number
Collection location		Date
stored		% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA1,368 (2.19 g)100+13-Jan-2005MKJ66
Southern Lofty		28-Mar-2006100%-18°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
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.
We acknowledge the contributions of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, and the Department for Environment and Water.