Municipalities

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Scientific Name

Gyrostemon thesioides

Family Name

GYROSTEMONACEAE

Common Name

Broom Wheeelfruit

Status

Rare

Height

30-80cm

Flowers

Very small, solitary in the upper leaf axils.

Fruit

Capsule

Form

Small shrub or under-shrub with a hard, woody stem and many erect branches. Short-lived (less than 10 years).

Municipalities

Break O'Day; Flinders Island; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Launceston; Northern Midlands

Communities

Habitat Notes

Allocasuarina forest in the North and East, and on Bass Strait islands. Sites include the Cataract Gorge, Douglas-Apsley National Park Sleepy Bay and Orford.

Site Tolerance

Frost Tolerance

Soil Tolerance

General Notes

Difficult to grow from seed. Most treatments result in little or no germination. Bird-digestion may play a role in germination. Smoke may be worth trying. 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

Capsules are 2mm long and 4mm wide, deeply ribbed, and occur only on female plants. Seeds are kidney-shaped and reddish-brown with a white aril, 2mm long. Dry collected fruits, then sieve to clean.

Seed Treatment Method

Smoke

Seed Storage Life

Viable Seeds Per Gram

Seed Treatment Notes

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