Plants of
South Australia
Veronica derwentiana ssp. anisodonta
Plantaginaceae
Kangaroo Island Speedwell,
Derwent Speedwell
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
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Extinct
Data deficient
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock painting: 1

Prior names

Derwentia derwentiana ssp. anisodonta

Common names

Kangaroo Island Speedwell

Derwent Speedwell

Etymology

Veronica name first given to some species of this genus by the Italian botanist Mattioli in 1554, probably in honor of Saint Veronica, a nun who died in Milan in 1497. Derwentiana mean of or from the Derwent River in south-eastern Tasmania, referring to where the species was first collected from. Anisodonta from the Greek 'anisos' meaning unequal and 'dontus' meaning toothed, referring to the irregularly toothed leaves.

Distribution and status

Endemic to South Australia and found only on Kangaroo Island, growing in moist gullies. Native. Very rare in South Australia.
Herbarium region: Kangaroo Island
NRM region: Kangaroo Island
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Erect perennial shrub to 2 m tall with many stems arising from the base. Leaves are green, lance-shaped with serrations along the edges and arranged in pairs. Flowers are pale mauve along a long flower spike. Flowering between October and January. Fruits are many pale brown capsules along a long spike, containing numerous small seeds. Seeds are small, ovoid, orange- brown to 2 mm long with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is linear fully developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between January and March. Break off the fruit spikes when the capsules are turning brown with hard brown seeds inside. Look for capsules that are un-opened. Place the fruit spikes in a tray and leave to dry for 1 to 2 weeks. Then rub the capsules by hand or gently with a rubber bung to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate the unwanted material. Be careful as the seeds are small. 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 high usually high for this species. This species has morphophysiological dormancy that can be overcome to promote germination.

Fire response

Obligate re-spouter and re-seeder.

Longevity: ?? years

Time to flowering: ??? year

Recovery work

In 2020-2021 this species was assessed post-fire in 1 year and 2 year old fire scars. Further populations will be assessed and seeds collected on Kangaroo Island in 2021–2022. Germination screening testing the response to fire cues will be undertaken in 2021.This project was supported by the UK Bushfire Fund program.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA53,000 (8.39 g)19-Jan-2006TEE8
Kangaroo Island
8-Aug-200695%+5°C, -18°C
BGA1,500 (0.262 g)132-Mar-2022JRG860
Kangaroo Island
7-Jul-2022100%-18°C
BGA13,466 (3.205 g)2320-Jan-2022D.A.Young (West Bay Rd)
Kangaroo Island
7-Jul-202290%-18°C, -80°C
BGA9,735 (2.026 g)30+27-Mar-2023DJD4207
Kangaroo Island
20-Jun-202395%-18°C, -80°C
Location: BGA — the seeds are stored at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens, MSB — the seeds are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank, Kew, England.
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.