Samolus valerandi
Brookweed at Molonglo River Reserve
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| Samolus valerandi | MichaelMulvaney | 15 Mar 2019 | |
| Samolus valerandi | Mike | 15 Mar 2019 | |
| Unverified | JaneR | 15 Mar 2019 |
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Significant sighting
MichaelMulvaney noted:
15 Mar 2019
Last recorded in the ACT in 1994, this is a little known plant that we would like to know more where it occurs. Great that we have another rare species in Molonglo River Park
User's notes
Very common on moist sandy soils at or near waters edge, downstream of Coppins Xing. Quite short, mostly 7-15 cm tall.
5 comments
15 Mar 2019
The only thing I can think of that is at all similar to these plants is Erophila verna, the flowers of which have four petals, and the leaves are a lot narrower. I tried using my draft key to plants of SE NSW which has about 3,000 of the 4,000 relevant species in it and could not really get any joy. Cardamine hirsuta also looks vaguely like it but the flowers have four petals and the leaves are compound (composed of leaflets).
15 Mar 2019
That was my experience, too: I got nowhere with PlantNet key and nowhere with Flora Vic (on-line) key, yet the plant is quite distinctive.
Specimen has been taken for pressing.
I don't think it is Erophila verna (though I can't suggest better): the photo in Flora Vic (on Line) shows a rounded tips to sepals whereas these are quite acute: plus they are retained on the fruit after it is has dried and started shedding seed.
There are five petals, five sepals, and inside the flower are two lots of five anthers-like (different shapes:presumably one is infertile), off-set from each other. This really needed a microscope: it was challenging with a hand lens. It had a short fibrous root system, looks like an annual.
Specimen has been taken for pressing.
I don't think it is Erophila verna (though I can't suggest better): the photo in Flora Vic (on Line) shows a rounded tips to sepals whereas these are quite acute: plus they are retained on the fruit after it is has dried and started shedding seed.
There are five petals, five sepals, and inside the flower are two lots of five anthers-like (different shapes:presumably one is infertile), off-set from each other. This really needed a microscope: it was challenging with a hand lens. It had a short fibrous root system, looks like an annual.
15 Mar 2019
Low/short hairless perennial, often unbranched. Leaves oval in a basal rosette and alternate up the stems. Flowers white in a stalked spike, petals joined halfway. Fruit globular. The Wildflowers of Britain and Northern Europe, p.176
16 Mar 2019
Wait for the moderators, but it does look like a good match to me ! if so, then it is 'rare' in Victoria, and native in NSW, and not often collected.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.033097-35.287456
- Altitude 504.7m
- Maps Molonglo River Reserve
- Places Whitlam, ACT
Sighting information
- 101 - 1,000 Abundance
- 14 Mar 2019 03:50 PM Recorded on
- JaneR Recorded by
- Yes In flower
- 10cm to 30cm Plant height
Collections
- Illilanga flagged sightings Significant JaneR Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Samolus valerandi Other Wildflowers & Herbs Plants
Species information
- Samolus valerandi Scientific name
- Brookweed Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Rare or uncommon native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- 504.73m to 644.96m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Seasonal activity
-
In flower
JFMAMJJASOND
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species