Melichrus | |
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Melichrus urceolatus | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Subfamily: | Epacridoideae |
Tribe: | Styphelieae |
Genus: | Melichrus R.Br. [1] |
Melichrus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. Plants in the genus Melichrus are shrubs with narrowly egg-shaped leaves crowded at the ends of branches and bell-shaped or urn-shaped flowers arranged singly in leaf bases, the fruit a drupe.
Plants in the genus Melichrus are low-lying to erect shrubs with branchlets covered with soft hairs and prominent leaf scars. The leaves are narrowly egg-shaped, more or less sessile and crowded at the ends of branches with parallel striations on the lower surface. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils and are more or less sessile, with bracts grading to larger egg-shaped or circular bracteoles. The sepals are egg-shaped with hairy edges and the petals are fleshy and form a bell-shaped or urn-shaped tube, with 5 tufts of glandular hairs near the base, the lobes egg-shaped and hairy. The ovary has four to six locules with one ovule per locule and the fruit is a drupe with a slightly mesocarp and a hard endocarp. [2] [3]
The genus Melichrus was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen . [4] [5] The genus name (Melichrus) means "honey-coloured", but the reason for the name was not explained by Brown. [6]
The following species are accepted by the Australian Plant Census as at November 2024: [7]
The following specimen names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census, but the species have not been formally described, as at November 2024: [7]
Leucopogon is a genus of about 150-160 species of shrubs or small trees in the family Ericaceae, in the section of that family formerly treated as the separate family Epacridaceae. They are native to Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, the western Pacific Islands and Malaysia, with the greatest species diversity in the south-west of Western Australia. Plants in this genus have leaves with a few more or less parallel veins, and tube-shaped flowers usually with a white beard inside.
Pomaderris is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the family Rhamnaceae, the species native to Australia and/or New Zealand. Plants in the genus Pomaderris are usually shrubs, sometimes small trees with simple leaves arranged alternately along the branches and bisexual, woolly-hairy flowers arranged in racemes or panicles. The flowers are usually yellow and often lack petals.
Isotoma is a genus of annual and perennial herbs in the family Campanulaceae and are native to Australia and New Zealand.
Dampiera is a genus of about 70 species of flowering plants in the family Goodeniaceae, all of which are endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Dampiera are subshrubs or herbs with sessile leaves, flowers with five small sepals and blue, violet or pink, rarely white, two-lipped flowers.
Acrotriche is a genus of about 18 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae, occurring in all states of Australia except the Northern Territory. Plants in the genus Acrotriche are shrubs with hairy branchlets, leaves with more or less parallel veins and small flowers with 5 sepals and petals joined at the base to form a bell-shaped to cylindrical tube with hairs and stamens in the throat.
Scaevola aemula, commonly known as the fairy fan-flower or common fan-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It has mostly egg-shaped leaves and blue, mauve or white fan-shaped flowers. It grows in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.
Lissanthe is a genus of about 10 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Lissanthe are small, erect to spreading shrubs with egg-shaped to oblong leaves. Up to 17 bisexual flowers are arranged in leaf axils or on the ends of branches, the 5 petals joined at the base to form a cylindrical to urn-shaped tube with triangular lobes.
Trochocarpa is a genus of about 16 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae native to Australia, New Guinea, Borneo and Malesia. Plants in the genus Trochocarpa are shrubs or small trees, the leaves with more or less parallel veins, flowers in small clusters, each with 5 sepals, petals joined to form a cylindrical or bell-shaped tube, and the fruit a more or less spherical drupe.
Styphelia sieberi, commonly known as prickly beard-heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect, densely-branched shrub with oblong to more or less egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white, tube-shaped flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils.
Leucopogon microphyllus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a bushy or spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, and compact spikes of usually four to nine white, tube-shaped flowers.
Chloanthes is a genus of four species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus are shrubs with hairy foliage, blistered or wrinkly leaves and flowers with five petals fused at the base, usually with two "lips".
Stenanthera is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. Most are low shrubs with leaves that are paler on the lower surface, tube-shaped flowers and with the fruit a drupe. There are three species, formerly included in the genus Astroloma.
Styphelia pendula is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, straggling shrub with oblong leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers that are bearded inside.
Scaevola striata, commonly known as royal robe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It has blue fan-shaped flowers, and is endemic to Western Australia.
Chloanthes glandulosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is a small shrub with wrinkled leaves and greenish-yellow tubular flowers. It is endemic to New South Wales.
Styphelia cuspidata is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to the central Queensland coast. It is a shrub with densely hairy young branchlets, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white, bell-shaped flowers that are bearded inside.
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.
Styphelia deformis is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern coastal Australia. It is a bushy shrub with narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and white, tube-shaped flowers.
Styphelia leptospermoides is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with elliptic to lance-shaped or oblong leaves, and white, tube-shaped flowers usually arranged singly in upper leaf axils.
Brachyloma ciliatum, commonly known as fringed brachyloma or fringed daphne heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a low-lying or erect shrub with upwards-pointing, egg-shaped to oblong leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers.