Epacris longiflora

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Fuchsia heath
Epacris longiflora flowers.jpg
Epacris longiflora in flower at Grotto Point Reserve, Sydney
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Epacris
Species:
E. longiflora
Binomial name
Epacris longiflora
Synonyms [1]

Epacris longiflora, commonly known as fuchsia heath [2] or cigarette flower, [3] is a plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with egg-shaped, pointed leaves and red tube-shaped flowers which give the plant its name longiflora and are usually present throughout the year. Its native range extends from the central coast of New South Wales to southern Queensland.

Contents

Description

Epacris longiflora is an erect to spreading shrub which grows to a height of 50–200 cm (20–80 in) and has stems with prominent short, broad leaf scars. The leaves are egg-shaped, 5.6–17 mm (0.2–0.7 in) long, 3–6.6 mm (0.1–0.3 in) wide with a pointed tip. The leaves are thin, flat and have margins with minute teeth. The flowers are red with a white tip, sometimes all red and have a peduncle up to 2 mm (0.08 in) long. There are five petals which are fused to form a tube with five lobes at the end. The tube is 12–27 mm (0.5–1 in) long, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) in diameter and the lobes are 2.4–4.4 mm (0.09–0.2 in) long. At the base of the petal tube there are whorls of bracts and five sepals 4.5–6 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long. Within the petal tube there is a central style with the stigma at its tip and an ovary at its base. The stamens are hidden inside the tube. Flowering occurs throughout the year, although there are fewer flowers in summer. The fruits are capsules 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long containing small, light seeds. [4] [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Epacris longiflora was first formally described by Antonio José Cavanilles in 1797 and the description was published in his book Icones et descriptiones plantarum. [5] [6] The specific epithet (longiflora) means "long-flowered". [7] The vernacular name "cigarette flower" is from the pattern on the flower. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Fuchsia heath is found on the coast and tablelands from south-eastern Queensland to Berry in New South Wales. It grows in sandy soil on cliff faces, in heath to woodland margins and in dry sclerophyll forest. [2]

Ecology

Plants are thought to live 5–20 years in the wild. [8]

Use in horticulture

A highly regarded ornamental garden plant, E. longiflora was first cultivated in England in 1803. It grows in a variety of soils as long as the drainage is good, and does best in a partly shaded position. [9]

Along with other members of the genus, Epacris longiflora initially proved difficult to grow and maintain on original soil in the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Epacris</i> Genus of flowering plants in the heath family Ericaceae

Epacris is a genus of about forty species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. It was formerly treated in a closely related but separate family Epacridaceae, but the various genera within Epacridaceae including Epacris have been revised in their relationships to each other and brought under the common umbrella of the Ericaceae. The genus Epacris is native to eastern and southeastern Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. The species are known as heaths or Australian heaths.

<i>Epacris breviflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris breviflora, commonly known as drumstick heath, is a plant of the heath family, Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-east of the Australian continent. It is an erect shrub with egg-shaped leaves with a sharp-pointed tip and with clusters of white flowers arranged near the end of the branches. It grows in Victoria, New South Wales and the far south-east of Queensland.

<i>Blandfordia grandiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Blandfordia grandiflora, commonly known as Christmas bells, is a flowering plant endemic to eastern Australia. It is a tufted perennial herb with narrow, channelled, linear leaves and between two and twenty large, drooping, bell-shaped flowers. The flowers are red with yellow tips, or sometimes entirely yellow. It is one of four species of Blandfordia known as Christmas bells, this one growing on the coast and nearby ranges between Sydney in New South Wales and Fraser Island in Queensland.

<i>Epacris gunnii</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris gunnii is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with hairy branchlets, concave, sharply-pointed, broadly egg-shaped leaves, and tube-shaped, white flowers arranged along the stems.

<i>Epacris microphylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris microphylla , commonly known as coral heath, is a plant in the heath family Ericaceae and which is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a common, wiry shrub with tiny leaves that are often obscured by the flowers, especially near the ends of the stems. The plant sometimes grows in dense groups, giving the effect of a snowfall.

<i>Epacris obtusifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris obtusifolia, commonly known as blunt-leaf heath, is a species of flowering plant from the heath family, Ericaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with few stems, crowded, oblong to elliptic leaves and tube-shaped white or cream-coloured flowers arranged along the stems.

<i>Epacris rhombifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris rhombifolia commonly known as mountain coral heath, is a plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, multi-stemmed shrub with broad, rhombic leaves and white flowers with four petals, the flowers spreading down the branches. It only grows in wet, subalpine heath and is sometimes regarded as a variety of Epacris microphylla.

<i>Epacris lanuginosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris lanuginosa, commonly known as woolly-style heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender, erect shrub with hairy branchlets, linear to lance-shaped leaves, and tube-shaped, white flowers crowded along the ends of the branches.

<i>Epacris calvertiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris calvertiana is a plant of the heath family, Ericaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is an erect to diffuse shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with a sharp-pointed tip and with white, pink or red flowers arranged along the ends of leafy branchlets.

<i>Epacris petrophila</i> Species of plant

Epacris petrophila, commonly known as snow heath, is a species of flowering plant from the heath family, Ericaceae, and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect, bushy, sometimes low-lying shrub with egg-shaped to elliptic leaves and tube-shaped white flowers in small clusters on the ends of branches.

<i>Epacris gnidioides</i> Species of Australian heath (plant)

Epacris gnidioides, commonly known as Budawangs cliff-heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is a small, creeping shrub with hairy branches, sharply-pointed lance-shaped leaves, and tube-shaped, white flowers.

<i>Epacris apiculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris apiculata is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a small, slender, low-lying to erect shrub with hairy branchlets, egg-shaped leaves with a thickened, pointed tip and tube-shaped flowers with white petals.

<i>Epacris celata</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris celata is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a spreading to erect shrub with flat, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and tube-shaped white flowers clustered in upper leaf axils.

<i>Epacris coriacea</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris coriacea is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a eastern New South Wales. It is a slender, erect shrub with hairy branchlets, egg-shaped to more or less diamond-shaped leaves and tube-shaped, white or cream-coloured flowers.

<i>Epacris decumbens</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris decumbens is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It is a straggling, low-lying shrub with hairy branchlets, elliptic to egg-shaped leaves, and tube-shaped, white flowers.

Epacris lithophila is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with few branches, lance-shaped to elliptic leaves and creamy-white, tube-shaped flowers.

<i>Epacris acuminata</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris acuminata , commonly known as claspleaf heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a small, spreading shrub with egg-shaped, stem-clasping leaves and tube-shaped flowers with white petals.

<i>Epacris myrtifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris myrtifolia is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 15–50 cm (5.9–19.7 in). Its leaves are thick, crowded, egg-shaped with a small, blunt point on the tip, and 4.2–8.5 mm (0.17–0.33 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly in a few upper leaf axils with many leathery bracts at the base. The sepals are leathery, about 4.2 mm (0.17 in) long, the petal tube slightly shorter than the sepals with lobes about the same length, the anthers protruding slightly from the petal tube.

<i>Epacris paludosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris paludosa, commonly known as swamp heath, is a species of flowering plant from the heath family, Ericaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with lance-shaped, elliptic or egg-shaped leaves and tube-shaped white or cream-coloured flowers in crowded, leafy heads at the ends of branches.

Epacris pinoidea is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area of eastern New South Wales. It is an erect to semi-erect shrub with flat, oblong to elliptic or lance-shaped leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers.

References

  1. 1 2 "Epacris longiflora". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Powell, Jocelyn Marie. "Epacris longiflora". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 Walters, Brian (1988). "East Coastal - 7: Epacris". Australian Plants. 14 (115): 338.
  4. ↑ Bailey, Peter (1988). "The Flower - Part 3". Australian Plants. 14 (115): 295–96.
  5. ↑ "Epacris longiflora". APNI. Retrieved 25 December 2016.
  6. ↑ Cavanilles, Antonio Jose (1797). Icones et Descriptiones Plantarum. Vol. 4. Madrid. pp. 25–26. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  7. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 242. ISBN   9780958034180.
  8. ↑ Benson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (1995). "Ecology of Sydney Plants 3: families Cabombaceae to Eupomatiaceae" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 4 (2): 217–429 [359–60]. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2014-05-31.
  9. ↑ Elliot Rodger W.; Jones, David L.; Blake, Trevor (1984). Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation:Volume 3 - Ce-Er. Port Melbourne: Lothian Press. pp. 413–14. ISBN   0-85091-167-2.
  10. ↑ Butler, Geoff (1984). "National Botanic Gardens Rockery". Australian Plants. 12 (99): 315–19.
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