Richea sprengelioides

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Richea sprengelioides
Unidentified Plant 9978 - Walls of Jerusalem.jpg
Richea sprengelioides in
Walls of Jerusalem National Park
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Richea
Species:
R. sprengelioides
Binomial name
Richea sprengelioides
Synonyms

Cystanthe sprengelioides R.Br.

Richea sprengelioides is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. [2] It is one of the 11 species within the genus Richea that are endemic to Australia, of which 9 are found only in Tasmania. [3]

Contents

The species was first formally described by botanist Robert Brown in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae . He gave it the name Cystanthe sprengelioides.[2] In 1867 Victorian Government Botanist Ferdinand von Mueller transferred the species to the genus Richea . [3]

It is found throughout the mountainous regions of Tasmania.

Description

Richea sprengelioides individual growing on Mt Wellington, the angular leaf scars can be clearly seen. Richea sprengelioides individual from Mt Wellington.jpg
Richea sprengelioides individual growing on Mt Wellington, the angular leaf scars can be clearly seen.

Richea sprengelioides can grow as an erect shrub up to 1.2m in height. Older stems are devoid of leaves but bear numerous angular scars. Its leaves follow the distinctive habit of its genus, sheathing the stem before curling away and tapering to a point. Its inflorescence is roughly 2 centimeters wide and tall, with some 20 flowers clustered together at the end of the stems.

Richea sprengelioides in general is easily identified though it may be confused with a couple of other species found in Tasmania. One of the main features that distinguish R. sprengelioides from others in its genus is the size of its leaves, which at 8–12 mm are substantially smaller than those of Richea scoparia (a species that is often found growing in the same habitat). Its closest relative, R. procera, is found at lower altitudes (over 400m above sea level) but it largely disappears before the sub alpine zone [4] where R. sprengelioides is most common. These two species do however co-occur at mid altitudes and their resemblance has led some to suggest that they simply represent clinal variation within the same species . These species can, however, be distinguished by their flowers. R. sprengelioides has creamy white flowers while those of R. procera have a pink tip. The most distinct difference between these two species is their filaments, which are white, smooth and slender in R. sprengelioides as opposed to R. procera which has yellow, thickened and papillose filaments. [3] Lastly Sprengelia incarnata , a far more distant relative, looks very similar to R. sprengelioides. The two species may however be distinguished by leaf scars which are visible on the stem of R. sprengelioides but are absent from that of S. incarnata.

Habitat and distribution

Distribution of Richea sprengelioides from the Atlas of Living Australia Richea sprengelioides distrobution.jpg
Distribution of Richea sprengelioides from the Atlas of Living Australia

Richea sprengelioides is found throughout the mountainous regions of west, south-west, north-east and the central plateau of Tasmania. [3] It is most common in alpine areas where is most often encountered growing as a small bush within the dominant shrub layer, this, however, does vary with exposure and it can be found growing in a much reduced form within alpine herbfields. [3] At lower altitudes it is sometimes seen growing in exposed rocky sites and less often within well drained woodland. [3] The flowers are sought out and eaten by a number of mammal species. [5]

Diversity and endemism

Richea sprengelioides is one of 11 species within its genus that are endemic to Australia of which 9 are found only in Tasmania. The relative abundance of the genus Richea within Tasmania raises the question of why there are so few elsewhere. Two theories have been put forward to explain this. Firstly that the Tasmanian species are paleoendemic and of Gondwanan origin. This implies that since the breakup of Gondwana conditions elsewhere have become hostile, to the point that Tasmanian species have survived where others have largely died out. A second possibility is that these species are relatively young, having diverged since the breakup of Gondwana. This implies that the genus has as yet been unable to disperse beyond south eastern Australia. [3]

Threats and conservation

Richea sprengelioides is widely found throughout Tasmania and much of its habitat is protected. While this species is not listed by the IUCN, alpine heathland, in which it is most commonly found, has the potential to change rapidly in the coming decades as Tasmania's climate warms. These higher altitude ecosystems contain some of the highest rates of endemism in the Tasmania [6] so changes here are of particular concern.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasmanian temperate rainforests</span> Terrestrial ecoregion in Tasmania, Australia

The Tasmanian temperate rain forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in western Tasmania. The ecoregion is part of the Australasian realm, which includes Tasmania and Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, New Caledonia, and adjacent islands.

<i>Diselma</i> Genus of conifers

Diselma archeri is a species of plant of the family Cupressaceae and the sole species in the genus Diselma. It is endemic to the alpine regions of Tasmania's southwest and Central Highlands, on the western coast ranges and Lake St. Clair. It is a monotypic genus restricted to high altitude rainforest and moist alpine heathland. Its distribution mirrors very closely that of other endemic Tasmanian conifers Microcachrys tetragona and Pherosphaera hookeriana.

<i>Bellendena</i> Genus of plants in the family Proteaceae

Bellendena montana, commonly known as mountain rocket, is a species of low-growing multi-stemmed shrub in the plant family Proteaceae. It is endemic to high-altitude subalpine and alpine regions in Tasmania, Australia. The prominent white flower spikes appear over summer, followed by small bright red or yellow fruit in late summer and autumn.

<i>Richea</i> Genus of flowering plants

Richea is a genus of 11 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. Nine of the species are endemic to Tasmania and the other two are endemic to the south-east of the Australian mainland.

<i>Richea pandanifolia</i> Species of tree

Richea pandanifolia, the pandani or giant grass tree, is a distinctive endemic Tasmanian angiosperm. It is dicot of the family Ericaceae and is found in central, western and south west Tasmania. It is a favourite among hikers and nature lovers.

<i>Telopea truncata</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to Tasmania

Telopea truncata, commonly known as the Tasmanian waratah, is a plant in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Tasmania where it is found on moist acidic soils at altitudes of 600 to 1200 m (2000–4000 ft). Telopea truncata is a component of alpine eucalypt forest, rainforest and scrub communities. It grows as a multistemmed shrub to a height of 3 metres (10 ft), or occasionally as a small tree to 10 m (35 ft) high, with red flower heads, known as inflorescences, appearing over the Tasmanian summer and bearing 10 to 35 individual flowers. Yellow-flowered forms are occasionally seen, but do not form a population distinct from the rest of the species.

<i>Richea scoparia</i> Species of flowering plant

Richea scoparia is a species of plant endemic to Tasmania. The genus Richea, forms part of the Ericaceae family, which are commonly heath-like shrubs. The name refers to the erect bushy growth habit, described as a broom-like shrub, most commonly referred to as the honey bush or simply scoparia to many bushwalkers.

<i>Dracophyllum milliganii</i> Species of flowering plant

Dracophyllum milliganii is a species of angiosperm in the family Ericaceae and the sub-family Epacridoideae. It is a distinctive alpine shrub, endemic to western Tasmania.

<i>Persoonia muelleri</i> Species of shrub

Persoonia muelleri, commonly known as Mueller’s geebung, is a shrub endemic to Tasmania. It forms a shrub in open areas of wet forests in the west and northeast of the state. It is occasionally confused with P. gunnii though it has larger flowers and longer, straighter leaves.

Persoonia moscalii, commonly known as the creeping geebung, is a shrub native to southwestern Tasmania.

<i>Sprengelia incarnata</i> Species of plant

Sprengelia incarnata, commonly referred to as pink swamp-heath, is a species of flowering plant of the family Ericaceae, and is native to south-eastern Australia and New Zealand. It is an erect, glabrous shrub with sharply-pointed, stem-clasping, egg-shaped leaves, and clusters of pink, tube-shaped flowers with spreading lobes.

<i>Orites revolutus</i> Species of plant in the family Proteaceae endemic to Tasmania

Orites revolutus , also known as narrow-leaf orites, is a Tasmanian endemic plant species in the family Proteaceae. Scottish botanist Robert Brown formally described the species in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London in 1810 from a specimen collected at Lake St Clair. Abundant in alpine and subalpine heath, it is a small to medium shrub 0.5 to 1.5 m tall, with relatively small, blunt leaves with strongly revolute margins. The white flowers grow on terminal spikes during summer. Being proteaceaous, O. revolutus is likely to provide a substantial food source for nectivorous animal species within its range.

<i>Cenarrhenes</i> Monotypic genus of plants in the family Proteaceae

Cenarrhenes is a monytypic genus in the family Proteaceae containing the single species Cenarrhenes nitida, known as the Port Arthur plum or native plum. Cenarrhenes nitida is an evergreen shrub to small tree endemic to the rainforests and scrublands of western Tasmania. It bears white flowers in late spring followed by the development of fleshy fruit.

<i>Campynema</i> Genus of flowering plants

Campynema is a genus in the family Campynemataceae first described in 1805. It contains only one known species (monotypic), Campynema lineare, endemic to the island of Tasmania in Australia. Its closest relative is Campynemanthe, endemic to New Caledonia, sole other genus of the family.

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

Richea gunnii, the bog candleheath or Gunns richea, is an endemic Tasmanian angiosperm. It is a dicot of the family Ericaceae and is found in Central, Western and North-east Tasmania.

<i>Cyathodes straminea</i> Species of flowering plant

Cyathodes straminea, also known as false-whorled cheeseberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae endemic to Tasmania, where it grows as an alpine to subalpine shrub with a spreading habit. The generic name Cyathodes was derived from Greek "Cyath" = cup and "odes" = like, referring to the ovary encircled by cup-shaped nectary.

<i>Orites acicularis</i> Species of plant in the family Proteaceae endemic to Tasmania, Australia

Orites acicularis, commonly known as yellow bush, is an angiosperm endemic to Tasmania, Australia and is a member of the genus Orites within the family Proteaceae. The species was first described in 1810 by Scottish botanist Robert Brown in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London.

<i>Richea procera</i> Species of plant

Richea procera, the lowland richea, is a plant in the family Ericaceae, endemic to Tasmania, Australia. It is found in lowland areas of Tasmania with unusually small leaves for the genus Richea. Its leaves are parallel veined, from 10 to 335 mm long, 10 mm wide at the base. It is similar in appearance to the high altitude species Richea sprengelioides.

<i>Chionogentias diemensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Chionogentias diemensis is a flowering herbaceous alpine plant in the family Gentianaceae, endemic to the island of Tasmania in Australia. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian mountain gentianChionogentias diemensis has been classified into two sub-species: the Tasmanian snow-gentian and the Ben Lomond snow-gentian.

<i>Dracophyllum muscoides</i> Species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae

Dracophyllum muscoides, commonly known as cushion inaka, is a small cushion plant in the family Ericaceae. It is endemic to New Zealand and is found only in the South Island in sub-alpine regions.

References

  1. "Richea sprengelioides ". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  2. "Catalogue of Life : Richea sprengelioides (R. Br.) F. Muell". www.catalogueoflife.org. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Menadue, Yvonne; Crowden, R. K. (2000). "Taxonomic revision of Richea R.Br. (Epacridaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 13 (5): 773–802. doi:10.1071/sb99028. ISSN   1446-5701.
  4. Tosch, Paul. "Species Information: Richea sprengelioides". www.utas.edu.au. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
  5. Driessen, M. M. (2001). "Broad-toothed rat, Mastacomys fuscus (Rodentia, Muridae), found in alpine heathland in Tasmania". Australian Mammalogy. 23 (2): 163–165. doi:10.1071/am01163. ISSN   1836-7402.
  6. KIRKPATRICK, J. B.; BROWN, M. J. (1984-04-01). "A numerical analysis of Tasmanian higher plant endemism". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 88 (3): 165–183. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1984.tb01569.x. ISSN   0024-4074.