Billardiera cymosa cymosa

Description

Billardiera versicolor (Pittosporaceae),Twining perennial shrub with stems to a few metres long.Leaves lanceolate to mm long and mm wide,upper surface glabrous,lower surface sparsely pilose.Flowers initially white,cream-coloured or pale yellow,with spreading mauve-red blotches from throat with age,bell-shaped appearing in September to December.Fruit type: Cylindrical berry to mm long and mm wide,green and hard when immature and soft when ripe.Seed type: Brown flat reniform seeds to mm long and mm wide,covered in deep wrinkles.Seed collecting: Pick mature fruits by hand,those that are soft or have brown seeds inside.Seed cleaning: Clean ripe fruits as soon as possible as it will go hard if left to dry too long.Rub the fruits in water with your hands to dislodge the seeds from the fruit.Pour the mixture into a sieve to separate the seeds from the flesh.Place the wet seeds in a tray lined with paper and leave to dry for to days.Store the seeds with a desiccant such as dried silica beads or dry rice,in an air tight container in a cool and dry place.Seed viability: From three collections,the seed viability were high,ranging from % to 00%.Seed germination: This species has physiological dormancy that need to be overcome for the seed to germinate.