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Prior names
Billardiera lehmanniana
Common names
Coastal Apple-berry
Lehmann's Apple-berry
Etymology
Billardiera named after Jacques-Julien de Labillardiere (1755-1834), a 19th century French botanist who visited Western Australia and Tasmania with D'Entrecasteaux expedition and named many new plant species. Manuscipt script name refers to where the species was first collected.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found only in a few areas on the lower Eyre Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula, growing on coastal dunes. Native. Very rare in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Climbing perennial shrub with green, lanceolate leaves. Flowers are yellow, bell-shaped, appearing between August and December. Fruits are a cylindrical drupe, green and hard when immature and soft when ripe. Seeds are dark brown to red, flat reniform seeds about 2.5 mm long and 2 mm wide, covered with wrinkles. Seed embryo type is linear underdeveloped.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between January and March. Pick mature fruits that are soft or have dark brown seeds inside. Clean ripe fruits as soon as possible as it will go hard if left to dry too long. Rub the fruits in water with your hands to dislodge the seeds from the fruit. Pour the mixture into a sieve to separate the seeds from the flesh. Place the wet seeds in a tray lined with paper and leave to dry for 1 to 2 days. 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 was average to high, ranging from 75% to 95%. This species has physiological dormancy that need to be overcome for the seed to germinate.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGA MSB | 2,000 (4.01 g) 1,600 (3.25 g) | 40+ | 8-Feb-2006 | DJD382 Yorke Peninsula | 10-Aug-2006 | 85% | -18°C |
| BGA | 4,000 (8.18 g) | 5 | 7-Mar-2006 | TEE13 Yorke Peninsula | 10-Aug-2006 | 75% | -18°C |
| BGA | 2,470 (6.67 g) | 18-Jan-2007 | DJD746 Yorke Peninsula | 1-Aug-2007 | 95% | +5°C, -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.