Botanical art
Prior names
Xeranthemum bracteatum
Helichrysum lucidum
Elichrysum lucidum, orth.var.(orig.)
Helichrysum bracteatum
Bracteantha bracteata
Common names
Golden Everlasting
Tjul#pun-tjul#punpa
Etymology
Xerochrysum from the Greek 'xeros' meaning dry and 'chrysos' meaning gold; referring to the golden papery flowers of the genus. Bracteatum from the Latin 'bractea' meaning a thin plate; referring to the bracts at the base of the flower.
Distribution and status
Found across most parts of South Australia except in the south-east and north-east corners, growing in open woodland or forest, usually on sandy to sandy loam soils. Also found in all the other states. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in all the other states.
Herbarium regions: North Western, Lake Eyre, Nullarbor, Gairdner-Torrens, Flinders Ranges, Eastern, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, Green Adelaide
NRM regions: Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges, Alinytjara Wilurara, Eyre Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Northern and Yorke, South Australian Arid Lands, South Australian Murray-Darling Basin
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)
Plant description
Erect annual or perennial herb to 80 cm high. Leaves narrowly to broadly oblanceolate or narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, to 10 cm long and 20 mm wide scabrous-pubescent like the stem, especially on the margins. Flower-heads irregular, solitary or in loose clusters, with large yellow papery daisy flowers, bracts pale yellow, intermediate bracts longest, bright-yellow or rarely white, outer ones often streaked reddish or brown. Flowering between August and November. Fruits are large yellow-brown daisy head. Seeds are small oblong to cylindrical brown seeds to 3 mm long and 1 mm wide. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between November and March. Collect whole heads that are brown or collect seeds that are easily removed from the head. These should be hard and brown. Place the heads in a tray for a week to dry. Then rub the heads gently with your hands to dislodge the seeds. Viable seeds will be dark and hard. 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 three collections, the seed viability were high, ranging from 85% to 100%. Seeds are non-dormant, viable seed should germinate readily without any treatment.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA | 12,800 (13.38 g) | 100 | 24-Jan-2008 | DJD1047 Southern Lofty | 19-Sep-2008 | 100% | -18°C |
BGA | 800 (0.71 g) | 30+ | 19-Mar-2008 | KHB125 Southern Lofty | 19-Sep-2008 | 85% | -18°C |
BGA | 34,000 (10.85 g) | 50+ | 5-Dec-2008 | KHB184 Murray | 20-Jul-2009 | 95% | -18°C |