Violaceae

Predominantly east of the Hume highway. Noted in the areas: Talmalmo-Murray; Coppabella; Jingellic; Ournie; Maragle; Tooma; Ardenside-Welaregang; Lower Tooma-Greg Greg; Bringenbrong-Khancoban; Four Mile; Deadmans-Bungowannah-Long Flat; and Upper Gilmore.

NSW, Vic, Tas, SA.

Amongst rocks, often along creeksides and in alpine heath.

Rigid shrub to 4 m high with branchlets often ending in spines. Dark-green foliage with toothed margins and tiny bell-shaped, fragrant flowers.

Well-drained sites. Tolerates most frost.

Apparently long-lived and extremely hardy. Slow-growing. Lush in lightly shaded gullies, or stunted and spiny on exposed dry rocky sites.

Pale-yellow, spring-summer.

Late Dec to early April, when berries are pale-green to purple. Monitor closely as seeds shed 3-14 days after maturity.

From seed or cuttings. Sowing recommendations vary. Local growers have germinated seed by sowing whole freshly collected fruit about 1 cm deep and keeping in non-humid shadehouse. Seeds germinate in 3-4 months. Seedlings easily handled. Rooting hormones improve strike rate of cuttings.

From seed, dispersed by birds.

Excellent long-lived low-level cover in windbreaks.

Excellent habitat. Prickly foliage excellent refuge and nesting sites for small native birds. Birds feed on fruit.

Attractive, for hedges, screening, and barriers. Watering over summer, and pruning is beneficial. Floral perfume may be overpowering if plants too close to house doors and windows.