Plants of
South Australia
Nicotiana simulans
Solanaceae
Wild Tobacco,
Native Tobacco
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Regional Species Conservation Assessments per IBRA subregion.
Least concern
Near threatened
Rare
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critically endangered
Extinct
Data deficient
Adelaide
Arkaroola
Ceduna
Coober Pedy
Hawker
Innamincka
Marla
Marree
Mount Gambier
Oodnadatta
Renmark
Wudinna
Keith
Yunta
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Botanical art

Kath Alcock paintings: 3

Common names

Wild Tobacco

Native Tobacco

Etymology

Nicotiana, named after Jean Nicot (1530-1600), a French Ambassador for the King of France to Lisbon in 1560, who sent the first tobacco plant to France. Simulans, mean similar, possibly alluding to the similarity of this species to other Nictotiana species.

Distribution and status

Found in the northern part of South Australia growing in sandy and rocky soils, usually in shelter of boulders or in litter under trees, frequently near minor water courses. Also found in Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales. Native. Common in South Australia. Rare in Queensland. Common in the other States.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Herb to 1.2 m, with glandular hairs. Leaves mostly basal, to 23 cm long and 12 cm wide; elliptic, narrowly to broadly winged. Stem leaves narrowly ovate or elliptic. Inflorescence an erect panicle-like spike with tubular white flowers. Flowering between May and October.
Fruits are brown ellipsoid to ovoid capsule to 13 mm long. Seeds are brown reniform seed to 1 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, covered in small tubercules. Seed embryo type is linear, fully-developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between September and December. Collect mature capsules that are brown or turning a pale straw-colour and contain brown seeds. Can collect individual capsules or break off the whole fruit spike. Place the capsules in a tray and leave to dry for one to two weeks, then rub the capsules gently 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 high, at 95%.

Seeds stored:
  Hide
LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)		Number
of plants		Date
collected		Collection number
Collection location		Date
stored		% ViabilityStorage
temperature
 
MSB
510,000 (25.53 g)		50-6025-Nov-2005DJD248
Eastern		0%
BGA 
MSB		11,000 (1 g)
11,000 (1 g)		5012-Mar-2007RJB70944
Gairdner-Torrens		1-Aug-200795%-18°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.
We acknowledge the contributions of the South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, the Botanic Gardens of South Australia, and the Department for Environment and Water.