Common names
Trailing Star-lily
Trailing Nancy
Etymology
Wurmbea name after Friedrick Wilhelm von Wurmb, merchant and botanist in 18th century Batavia (Jakarta). Decumbens from Latin meaning prostrate on the earth with the tips turning up; referring to the decumbent leaves and flower spike.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found on the Eyre Peninsula and Kangaroo Island, growing on rocky hills on sheltered southern slopes at the base of rocks. Native. Rare in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island
NRM regions: Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Decumbent herb to 8 cm high. Leaves 3,, lower two basal, decumbent, narrow, pale green, to 20 cm long and 5 mm wide, not dilated at the base, upper leaf ovate, short. Inflorescence short spike, shorter than the leaves, at first erect but becoming decumbent soon after, with one rarely 2 small white flower, turning purple with age. Flowering May to July. Fruits are large brown elongated capsule to 2 cm long with many seeds. Seeds are orange brown globular seed to 1.5 mm diameter. Seed embryo type is linear under-developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between August and September. Collect mature capsules, those turning pale straw colour and containing hard brown seeds. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for 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. From three collections, the seed viability were high, ranging from 95% to 100%.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 4,500 (9.74 g) 4,600 (10 g) | 100+ | 5-Sep-2006 | DJD511 Eyre Peninsula | 1-Aug-2007 | 95% | +5°C, -18°C |
| BGA MSB | 1,900 (3.5 g) ( g) | 100+ | 30-Aug-2007 | MJT71 Eyre Peninsula | 20-Jul-2009 | 100% | -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.