Botanical art
Etymology
Veronica possibly named after Saint Veronica, a nun who died in Milan in 1497. Alternatively from the Latin 'vera' and 'icon', meaning true image. This is in reference to the legend of the miraculous imprint of the face of Christ on a head-cloth that Saint Veronica offered Christ on his way to crucifixion. Gracilis from Latin meaning graceful or slender; referring to the species habit.
Distribution and status
Found in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges and the lower South-east in South Australia, growing in damp sites. Also found in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Native. Rare in South Australia. Common in the other states.
Herbarium regions: Southern Lofty, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, South East
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Perennial herb with slender rhizomes to 60 cm long. Leaves lanceolate to linear, to 30 mm long and 9 mm wide, apex attenuate, base tapering sharply, margins entire or with 1�4 pairs of spreading or recurved acute teeth. Flowering stems usually 3�25 cm high, with fine but rigid recurved or spreading hairs. Flower-spike lateral, mostly to 5 cm long, with 1�6 pale lilac or blue with darker veins flowers. Flowering between October and December. Fruits are flat heart-shaped capsules turning from green to brown as it matures. Each capsule contains a few seeds. Seeds are small semi-flat orange-brown ovoid seed to 1.2 mm long and 0.7 mm wide with a slightly wrinked surface. Seed embryo type is linear under-developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between December and March. Collect maturing capsules when drying off and turning brown with orange-brown seeds inside. Place the capsules in a tray and cover with paper to prevent seeds from popping out and leave to dry for 1 to 2 weeks. Then rub the capsules gently by hand to dislodge the seeds. Use a sieve to separate any 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 high, at 96%. This species has morphophysiological dormancy that can be overcome to promote germination.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MSB | 3,100 (0.39 g) | 10 | 16-Nov-2007 | RJB74650 Southern Lofty | 100% | ||
BGA | 4,300 (1.86 g) | 100+ | 8-Jan-2009 | DJD1327 South Eastern | 1-Jan-2012 | 96% | -18°C |