Botanical art
Prior names
Brizula gracilis
Common names
Slender Aphelia
Etymology
Aphelia from the Greek 'apheles' meaning simple; referring to the simple structure of the solitary female florets. Gracilis from Latin meaning graceful or slender, alluding to the form of the species.
Distribution and status
Found in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Kangaroo Island and the South-east in South Australia, growing in temporarily wet ground especially the margins of creeks and swamps. Also found in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Common in South Australia. Uncommon in New South Wales and Tasmania. Common in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Tiny, erect annual herb to 4 cm tall with filiform leaves to 25 mm long, lax, acute, glabrous. Inflorescence an erect spike to 35 mm long and bent to one side, Flowering between September and December. Fruits are small brown leaf-like spike. Seeds are very small, pale brown, ellipsoid to 0.7 mm long and 0.3 mm wide. Seed embryo type is broad.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and February. Collect whole plant that are starting to dry off and turning pale straw colour. Place the plant material in a tray for 1-2 week to dry. Then rub the pods with your hands or a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Pass the material through a sieve to separate the unwanted material. The finer material will contain both seeds (soft) and frass (hard) 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. Seed viability is usually high.
| Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSB | 4,100 (0.4978 g) | 50 | 31-Oct-2007 | RJB75456 South Eastern | 100% |
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.