Epacris lithophila

Last updated

Epacris lithophila
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Epacris
Species:
E. lithophila
Binomial name
Epacris lithophila

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.

Contents

Description

Epacris lithophila is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 30 cm (12 in) and has few branches, the young branches hairy and older branches with obvious leaf scars. The leaves are more or less glabrous, lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, to elliptic, 6–14 mm (0.24–0.55 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide on a petiole about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. The flowers are arranged along the branches, each flower on a pedicel about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, with egg-shaped bracts near the base. The sepals are egg-shaped to elliptic, 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long. The petals are creamy-white and joined at the base, forming a bell-shaped tube 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long with lobes 2.0–2.5 mm (0.079–0.098 in) long. The style is 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and is enclosed in the petal tube with the anthers. Flowering occurs from November to December. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Epacris lithophila was first formally described in 1996 by Ron Crowden and Yvonne Menadue in the Annals of Botany based on plant material collected near Lawson in 1975. [4] The specific epithet (lithophila) refers to the rocky habitat of this species. [3]

Distribution and habitat

This epacris grows on sandstone rock or at the base of cliffs in dry forest at higher altitudes in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. [2] [3]

Related Research Articles

<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 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 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 crassifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris crassifolia is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. It is a low-lying shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves with the lower end towards the base, and tube-shaped, white or cream-coloured flowers clustered near the ends of the branches.

Epacris apsleyensis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area of Tasmania. It is an erect shrub with hairy branchlets, lance-shaped to elliptic leaves 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 cerasicollina</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris cerasicollina is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a shrub with lance-shaped to egg-shaped, slightly concave leaves and tube-shaped white flowers mostly clustered in upper leaf axils.

<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.

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

Epacris franklinii is a species of flowering plant in the heath family, Ericaceae, and is endemic to Tasmaina. It is an erect, spreading shrub with lance-shaped or elliptic leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers.

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

Epacris glabella, commonly known as smooth heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family, Ericaceae, and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a shrub with erect branches, egg-shaped to elliptic leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers.

Epacris grandis, commonly known as grand heath or tall heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area of Tasmania. It is a robust, erect shrub with smooth stems, lance-shaped leaves and tube-shaped flowers with white petals.

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

Epacris graniticola, commonly known as granite heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an erect shrub with egg-shaped leaves and tube-shaped white flowers mostly clustered near the ends of branches.

Epacris moscaliana, commonly known as seepage heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a bushy shrub with wand-like branches, narrowly lance-shaped to egg-shaped or round leaves, and bell-shaped white flowers in clusters at the ends of the branches.

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

Epacris mucronulata is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is an erect shrub with softly-hairy young branches, lance-shaped leaves, and cylindrical white flowers in small groups at the ends of the branches.

Epacris navicularis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-western Tasmania. It is a shrub with crowded, overlapping egg-shaped leaves arranged in five rows, and bell-shaped white flowers crowded in upper leaf axils.

<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 pilosa is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales. It is low-lying shrub with weeping, shaggy-hairy branchlets, elliptic to more or less egg-shaped leaves and white or cream-coloured tube-shaped flowers.

References

  1. "Epacris lithophila". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Epacris lithophila". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Crowden, Ron; Menadue, Yvonne (1996). "Epacris crassifolia R.Br. (Epacridaceae) - a reappraisal". Annals of Botany. New Series. 77 (4): 338. doi:10.1006/anbo.1996.0040.
  4. "Epacris lithophila". APNI. Retrieved 8 June 2022.