Botanical art
Prior names
Brizula pumilio
Common names
Dwarf Aphelia
Etymology
Aphelia from the Greek 'apheles' meaning simple; referring to the simple structure of the solitary female florets. Pumilio from Latin meaning dwarf; referring to its habit.
Distribution and status
Found in Mount Lofty Ranges and the South-east in South Australia, growing in temporarily wet ground of various soil types. Also found in Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Northern Lofty, Murray, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Very tiny, erect herb to 30 mm tall with narrow leaves clustered at the base of the stems to 20 mm long. Inflorescence an erect spike to 6 mm long and are leaf-like. Flowering between October and November. Fruits are small brown leaf-like spike. Seeds are very small, brown ellipsoid to 1 mm long and 0.5 mm wide. Seed embryo type is broad.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and January. 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 | 5,500 (0.55 g) | 50 | 10-Nov-2007 | RJB75501 Southern Lofty | 100% | ||
| BGA | 6,800 (0.89 g) | 50+ | 18-Nov-2010 | DJD2047 South Eastern | 1-Jan-2012 | 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.