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Image Credit: Anna Povey – with permission
Scientific Name: Arthropodium minus
Common Name: small vanilla-lily
Family Classification (Clade): Monocots
Family: Laxmanniaceae
Form Description: Perennial herb
Height (m): 0.15 – 0.35
Flowers: Purple, 1-3 per node, with long yellow or purple anthers recurved after flowering.
Fruit: Papery capsule – small, round, turn from soft and green to brown and brittle. Ripe seed are black and firm.
Municipality
Plant Communities
Habitat Notes
Open, dry, rocky areas in north-west, Midlands, north-east and east coast to 280m.
Site Tolerance
Dry, Exposed, Rocky
Soil Tolerance
Fertile, Loam, Nutrient-poor, Well-drained
General Notes
Various insects are attracted to the flowers.
Propagation Calendar
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Flowering Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Seed Collecting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Sowing Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Cutting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Seed shed soon after maturity. Harvest stalks and place upside down in large paper bags until capsules open.
Seed Treatment Method
Standard Scatter seed thinly on to damp potting mix. Hold seed in place by covering with more potting mix to approximately the depth of the seed size.
Seed Storage Life
Several years
Seed Treatment Notes
Light threshing may be necessary to extract seed, which has a 2-3 month dormancy period. Sow in Autumn. May be successful for direct seeding and suitable for hand-seeding in bushland if enough seed is available. Seed over 12 months old may require stratification for 6-7 weeks. Temperature may be critical in germination i.e. not above 18°C.
Germination Time
4-8 weeks
Cutting & Division Information
Propagate by division of the tubers.