Plants of
South Australia
Veronica parnkalliana
Plantaginaceae
Port Lincoln speedwell,
Rare Speedwell
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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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Common names

Port Lincoln speedwell

Rare Speedwell

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 headcloth that Saint Veronica offered Christ on his way to crucifixion. Parnkalliana named after Parnkalla, an Aboriginal tribe from the Port Lincoln area.

Distribution and status

Endemic to South Australia. It was first recorded from Eyre Peninsula but now only known from the southern Flinders Ranges. A fire responsive species. Native. Very rare in South Australia.
Herbarium regions: Flinders Ranges, Eyre Peninsula, Northern Lofty
NRM regions: Eyre Peninsula, Northern and Yorke
AVH map: SA distribution map (external link)

Plant description

Short lived perennial herb with erect to ascending branches to 20 cm tall. Leaves are serrated and arranged opposite to each other. Flowers are large and white with purple stripes, appearing in spring and summer. Fruits are flat heart-shaped capsules turning from green to red and brown as it matures. Each capsule contains a few seeds. Seeds are small semi-flat ovoid dark orange-brown seeds to 1.5 mm long and 1 mm wide, with a wrinkled surface. Seed embryo type is linear under-developed.

Seed collection and propagation

Collect seeds between November and March. Collect maturing capsules when drying off and turning red-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 two collections, the seed viability were high, at 100%. This species has morphophysiological dormancy that need to be overcome for the seed to germinate. This is a fire responsive species.

Seeds stored:
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LocationNo. of seeds
(weight grams)
Number
of plants
Date
collected
Collection number
Collection location
Date
stored
% ViabilityStorage
temperature
BGA 
MSB
12,800 (5.9 g)
5,500 (1.27 g)
280+15-Dec-2008DJD1277
Flinders Ranges
20-Jul-2009100%+5°C, -18°C
BGA11,400 (4.82 g)19-Dec-2008PJA192
Flinders Ranges
1-Jan-2012 -18°C
BGA9,800 (3.87 g)5-Mar-2010PJA192
Flinders Ranges
1-Jan-2012100%-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.
Germination table:
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