Flame heath | |
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In Monarto South, Australia | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Genus: | Stenanthera |
Species: | S. conostephioides |
Binomial name | |
Stenanthera conostephioides | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Stenanthera conostephioides, commonly known as flame heath, [2] is a species of small shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has linear to lance-shaped leaves, red, tubular flowers and green, oval fruit turning dark red.
Stenanthera conostephioides is an erect or spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 20–100 cm (7.9–39.4 in). The leaves are thick, linear to lance-shaped, 7–21 mm (0.28–0.83 in) long and 0.8–2 mm (0.031–0.079 in) wide, with a pointed tip 1.1–1.5 mm (0.043–0.059 in) long. The flowers are red and occur singly, pendent and tube-like, more or less cylindrical and 6.3–15 mm (0.25–0.59 in) long. There are brownish bracts 0.5–10 mm (0.020–0.394 in) long and bracteoles 6.3–15 mm (0.25–0.59 in) long at the base of the flower, and the sepals are brownish 7.7–18 mm (0.30–0.71 in). The petal lobes are densely hairy on the inside near their tips. The anthers project beyond the end of the petal tube and the style is 10–19 mm (0.39–0.75 in) long. The fruit is oval, about 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) long and green tinged with maroon, later dark red. Flowering occurs from March to November. [2] [3] [4]
Stenanthera conostephioides was first formally described in 1845 by Otto Wilhelm Sonder in Lehmann's Plantae Preissianae from specimens collected by Theodor Siemssen near Port Adelaide in 1839. [5] [6] [7] The specific epithet (conostephioides) refers to the similarity of this species to a plant in the genus Conostephium . [2]
Flame heath grows in mallee scrub and open forest in sandy soil. It is a common species, occurring in western Victoria and the south east of South Australia. [2] [3]
The flowers of this species form an important part of the diet of emus. [8]
Lasiopetalum baueri, commonly known as slender velvet bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small, greyish shrub with more or less linear to narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptic leaves and groups of white or pink flowers.
Grevillea huegelii, commonly known as comb spider-flower or comb grevillea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is an erect to low-lying shrub with divided leaves with mostly three to eleven sharply-pointed linear lobes, and clusters of red to pink flowers that are silky-hairy on the outside.
Eremophila lehmanniana is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub, usually with short, wide, serrated leaves and white to lilac-coloured flowers. It occurs in the south west of Western Australia.
Leucopogon pulchellus, commonly known as beard-heath, is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae, and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is an erect or straggling shrub with erect, linear leaves and short, dense spikes of white, tube-shaped flowers.
Styphelia planifolia is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy shrub with narrowly oblong or lance-shaped leaves with a small, sharp point on the tip, and white, tube-shaped flowers.
Leucopogon polymorphus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of south-western Western Australia. It is a shrub with egg-shaped to lance-shaped or almost linear leaves and short, dense spines of white, tube-shaped flowers.
Dillwynia brunioides, commonly known as sandstone parrot-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with silky-hairy stems, linear, grooved leaves and yellow flowers with red markings.
Olearia ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is a slender shrub with oblong leaves and white and yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.
Leucopogon elatior is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, erect or straggly shrub with broadly egg-shaped leaves, and white, tube-shaped flowers.
Leucopogon elegans is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves, and white or pink, tube-shaped flowers densely bearded on the inside.
Leucopogon flavescens is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with oblong leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers that are densely bearded on the inside.
Leucopogon hirsutus is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a low-lying or straggling shrub with elliptic to oblong leaves and inconspicuous, white, bell-shaped flowers.
Thomasia discolor is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, compact shrub with hairy new growth, heart-shaped leaves with wavy, lobed edges, and pink flowers in crowded clusters.
Conostephium preissii is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with many stems, egg-shaped to oblong leaves and white and purplish to reddish-pink flowers.
Pimelea phylicoides, commonly known as heath rice-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with densely hairy young stems, narrowly egg-shaped to elliptic leaves, and heads of white flowers surrounded by 3 to 6 involucral bracts.
Leucopogon oppositifolius is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a slender, erect to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 15–80 cm (5.9–31.5 in). Its leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, narrowly linear to narrowly lance-shaped and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long. The flowers are arranged in short spikes on the ends of branches with leaf-like bracts and narrow bracteoles about half as long as the sepals. The sepals are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and lance-shaped, the petals about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and joined at the base, the lobes about the same length as the petal tube. Flowering mainly occurs from July to December.
Leucopogon ovalifolius 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 or straggling shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m). Its leaves are egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 4.2–6.3 mm (0.17–0.25 in) long and sessile. The flowers are arranged in pairs or threes in leaf axils on a short peduncle with tiny bracts, and bracteoles less than half as long as the sepals. The sepals are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the petals 4.2–5.3 mm (0.17–0.21 in) long and joined at the base, the lobes longer than the petal tube.
Leucopogon oxycedrus 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 shrub with variably-shaped leaves with a small, sharp point on the tip, and white, pink or red, tube-shaped flowers.
Commersonia rugosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to New South Wales. It is an open, straggly shrub with linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves with irregular teeth or lobes on the edges, and white flowers in clusters of 3 to 15.
Commersonia salviifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with lance-shaped leaves and white flowers in clusters of 5 to 30.