Botanical art
Prior names
Dodonaea boroniifolia
Common names
Limestone Hop-bush
Dwarf Hop-bush
Etymology
Dodonaea named after Rembert Dodoens (1517-1585), a Flemish physician and botanist, also known under his Latinized name Rembertus Dodonaeus. Humilis means dwarf, small, referring to the low habit.
Distribution and status
Endemic to South Australia and found from Streaky Bay to Keith. Native. Common in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Dioecious, spreading shrub to 1 m high. Leaves pinnate, to 3.5 cm long excluding the petiole; lateral leaflets 2-12, rarely as many as 14; cuneate, obovate to broad-obovate, rarely oblanceolate; concave above, 3-7-toothed or lobed at the apex; viscous, glabrous or sometimes with sparse simple hairs on the mid-vein below. Terminal leaflet usually elliptic or obovate, entire or rarely toothed or divided, otherwise similar to the lateral leaflets. Flowers from solitary to a 3-5-flowered terminal cyme with red flowers; sepals 4, stamens 8. Flowering between November and March. Fruits are red-brown capsule 4-lobed, to 7 mm long and 6 mm wide, with dense glandular hairs. Seeds are black ovoid seed to 2.5 mm long and 2 mm wide, with a wing around the margin. Seed embryo type is folded.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and May. Collect capsules that contain hard black seeds, usually when capsule is turning red or brown. Place capsules in a tray and leave to dry for 1 to 2 weeks. Then rub the capsules 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 one collection, the seed viability was average, at 75%. This species has physiological dormancy that needs to be overcome for the seed to germinate (e.g. nicking the seed coat).
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 1,900 (6.32 g) 1,900 (6.32 g) | 60+ | 30-Nov-2006 | TST113 Yorke Peninsula | 1-Aug-2007 | 75% | -18°C |