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Scientific Name
Comesperma retusum
Family Name
POLYGALACEAE
Common Name
Purple Milkwort, Mountain Milkwort
Status
Height
0.6m - 0.9m (60-90cm)
Flowers
Bright pink/purple (rarely lavender coloured), 2 large sepals forming wings. Other parts small.
Fruit
Capsule
Form
Shrub with erect, slender, rather rigid branches.
Municipalities
Break O'Day; Burnie; Central Highlands; Circular Head; Derwent Valley; Dorset; Flinders Island; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Glenorchy; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; Southern Midlands; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar
Communities
Heath; Montane Vegetation
Habitat Notes
Widespread but infrequent in wet heaths and scrub from sea level to mountain plateaux, especially inland.
Site Tolerance
Exposed; Moist; Windy
Frost Tolerance
Hardy
Soil Tolerance
Fertile; Loam; Poor; Poorly-drained; Well-drained
General Notes
Resistant to Phytophthora cinnamomi. Suitable below powerlines.
Propagation Details
Propagation Calendar
Flowering Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Seed Collecting Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Sowing Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Cutting Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Fruit a wedge-shaped capsule, seeds with a tuft of hairs. collect into paper bags, store in fridge in plastic envelopes
Seed Treatment Method
Standard
Seed Storage Life
Viable Seeds Per Gram
Seed Treatment Notes
Should have good results. Viability is low if seed is not collected when fully mature.
Germination Time
5-8 weeks
Suitable for Direct Seeding
Yes
Cuttings
Expected Time to Take Root
Expected Time to Plant Out
Propagation by Division
N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.
Cutting Notes
Take cuttings of new growth starting to harden off.
Copyright 2000-2009, Understorey Network Incorporated. Updated 2024-12-12
Database development and website design by
Andrew Smith