Botanical art
Prior names
Cryptandra tomentosa var. 1
Common names
Prickly cryptandra
Heath Cryptandra
Velvet Cryptandra
Etymology
Cryptandra from the Greek 'kryptos' meaning hidden and 'andros' meaning a man, referring to the hidden anthers in the hood-shaped petals. Tomentosa from the Latin 'tomentum' meaning wool, hair, referring to the tomentose branches and floral tubes.
Distribution and status
Found in the southern part of South Australia, mainly in the Mount Lofty Ranges, Murrayland and the South-east, growing in heaths and woodlands. Also found in Victoria. Native. Common in South Australia. Common in Victoria.
Herbarium regions: Eyre Peninsula, Murray, Yorke Peninsula, Southern Lofty, Kangaroo Island, South Eastern, Green Adelaide
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
Small straggling shrub to 30 cm high, with slender tomentose branches and slightly spiny branchlets. Leaves usually terete with closely revolute margins, to 6 mm long and less than 1 mm wide, sometimes 1-2 mm wide when the undersurface is somewhat exposed. Flowers scented, sessile in loose few-flowered heads or short spikes at the ends of the branchlets, sepals as long as the floral tube, densely tomentose with minute hairs, floral tube more or less glabrous, white. Flowering between June and October. Fruits are brown obovoid capsule to 3 mm long, with an almost flat top, and free for about one-third of its length. Seeds are brown ovoid seed to 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, with an aril at one end. Seed embryo type is spatulate fully developed.
Seed collection and propagation
Collect seeds between October and January. Collect fruit heads that are darkening and have a fluffy appearance. Rub the flower parts in your palm to see if there is any seed, which should be yellow-brown and hard. Place the heads in a tray and leave to dry for a week. Then rub the heads with your hands or a rubber bung 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. Seed viability can be low. This species has morphophysiological dormancy that need to be overcome for the seed to germinate.
Location | No. of seeds (weight grams) | Number of plants | Date collected | Collection number Collection location | Date stored | % Viability | Storage temperature |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BGA MSB | 2,650 (2.38 g) 2,650 (2.38 g) | 5 | 20-Nov-2006 | DJD692 Murray | 1-Aug-2007 | 30% | -18°C |