Botanical art
Prior names
Rinzia ericea ssp. ericea
Baeckea ericaea, partly
Baeckea microphylla var. ericaea
Common names
Mat Heath-myrtle
Etymology
Distribution and status
Found on Yorke Peninsula, Murray and South East regions in South Australia, growing on sandy soils on dunes and in heathland. Also found in Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in Victoria.(ssp. insularis in KI)
Herbarium regions: Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Prostrate or erect sub-shrub to 30 cm high. Leaves usually crowded, oblong to broadly lanceolate, not spreading to 3 mm long and 1 mm wide, thick, concavo-convex or semi-elliptic, apex obtuse. Flowers solitary in axils, white or pink, to 6 mm across. Flowering between August and November. Fruits are small brown woody capsule to 3 mm diameter with 2 cells.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and January. Collect mature capsules, those that are turning brown, hard with non-open valves. Maturing fruits need to be observed as most will naturally release their seed. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for a week or two. This allows the valves on the fruit to open and release the seeds. Separate the seeds by placing all the materials into a bucket and shaking it to dislodge the seeds. Pass the material through a sieve to separate the unwanted material. The finer material will contain both seeds and frass usually distinguishable from each other. With finer sieves, the seeds can be separated from the frass but this is not essential for storage or propagation. 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.