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Scientific Name
Lotus australis
Family Name
FABACEAE (LEGUMINOSAE)
Common Name
Austral Trefoil
Status
Rare
Height
0.6m (60cm)
Flowers
Pea, petals white to purple-red, often creamy pink, keel shorter, darker, usually 3-8 together.
Fruit
Seed pods
Form
Perennial, sometimes shrubby at base, erect or ascending.
Municipalities
Break O'Day; Burnie; Clarence; Derwent Valley; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar
Communities
Coastal Vegetation
Habitat Notes
Local on sandy coasts. Resistant to salt spray.
Site Tolerance
Dry; Exposed; Moist; Windy
Frost Tolerance
Soil Tolerance
Phosphorous intolerant; Poor; Sandy; Well-drained
General Notes
Often short-lived in cultivation, 3-4 years being the normal life span. 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
Pod straight, 3-5 cm long, brown when mature and contains up to 15 dark brown, hard seeds. valves twist spirally at maturity. collect by hand and store in a warm place until pods open to release seed
Seed Treatment Method
Hot water
Seed Storage Life
Viable Seeds Per Gram
Seed Treatment Notes
Soak in hot water and allow to cool. Nicking the seed will also produce good results but this is tedious. Needs full sun and reasonable drainage.
Germination Time
Suitable for Direct Seeding
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
Copyright 2000-2009, Understorey Network Incorporated. Updated 2024-10-10
Database development and website design by
Andrew Smith