Solvia?

This is hardly a Mediterrranean query in any strict sense but maybe
somebody can help with it - perhaps one of our Aussie members or Nick
Turland if he's listening.

I've grown a plant which came to me as Solvia pterspernum (sic). It
came as seed, the seed came, via a UK friend, from Australia, and the
Australian friend who grew it there said that it was originally a S.
American and he thought a Brazilian plant. 

I need to check out its name and I've got two problems. 

One, I can't find any info. even about the genus. Anybody able to
help? It doesn't figure on the Tropicos database.

Two, the species name doesn't seem to make sense, according to
Stearn's Botanical Latin. What could -spernum mean? At the moment I'm
working on the assumption that what I have is a series of
transcription errors leading back to what was originally
pter(o)sperM... (ie, with winged seeds) being thus distorted. Given
Solvia as the genus name, though, wouldn't the termination be -spermA
rather than spermUM?

TIA to anyone who can rescue me from this teasing little puzzle.

Tim
Solway Coast UK
mild moist cool, winter minima c. -3C
but at the moment radiant autumn and everything thinking we're back in
late spring/early summer - ceanothus and callistemon and clematis all
reflowering...



Tim Longville
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