Final report on the project
Dr Sandra A Lacey, Redlands Horticultural Research Station, Queensland Department of Primary Industry, Cleveland, Qld.
January 1988
Collection of plant material commenced immediately after the funding was received in late October 1987. The locations of all known sites of collection of Helchrysum diosmifolium in Queensland were obtained from the Queensland Herbarium. Based on this information, collecting trips to the districts of Dalby, Chinchilla, Roma, St. George, Kingaroy, Crows Nest, Stanthorpe and Brisbane Valley have been made to date. Cutting material and/or seed has been collected from over 80 sites with the intention of evaluating the various types for horticulturally desirable traits based mainly upon stem form, the form of the flower head, the colour of the involucre and the time of flowering. Flower heads arranged in a flat topped corymb are suitable for mixed bunches whilst those in finer sprays are suitable as dried flowers. Pure white involucres are desirable and it is necessary to extend the flowering period for trade purposes. Propagation of this material is now in progress.
Evaluation will extend over the next few years and is incomplete at present due to the early age of the collections.
Publications: A paper was presented in Perth during July 1989 at the conference ‘Production and Marketing of Australian flora’.