Leucopogon esquamatus
Swamp beard-heath | |
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Leucopogon esquamatus in Botany Bay National Park | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Ericales |
Family: | Ericaceae |
Genus: | Leucopogon |
Species: | L. esquamatus
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Binomial name | |
Leucopogon esquamatus | |
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Occurrence data from AVH | |
Synonyms[1] | |
Leucopogon esquamatus, commonly known as the swamp beard-heath,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a slender shrub with mainly elliptic leaves, and short-lived white, tube-shaped flowers arranged singly or in pairs in upper leaf axils.
Description
Leucopogon esquamatus is an erect, leafy shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.2–1 m (7.9 in – 3 ft 3.4 in) and has glabrous branchlets. Its leaves are erect, elliptic to narrowly so, sometimes egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 7–15 mm (0.28–0.59 in) long and 2.0–3.3 mm (0.079–0.130 in) wide on a petiole about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. The lower surface of the leaves is paler than the upper surface and is faintly striated, the edges with minute teeth near the tip. The flowers are white, arranged singly or in pairs in upper leaf axils and are on an erect peduncle up to 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long with bracteoles 1.2–1.5 mm (0.047–0.059 in) long at the base. The sepals are egg-shaped and 2.1–2.5 mm (0.083–0.098 in) long, the petal tube 1.0–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long and densely bearded inside, the lobes 2.3–2.9 mm (0.091–0.114 in) long. Flowering occurs in August and September and the fruit is a glabrous, brown, cylindrical drupe 3.8–4.5 mm (0.15–0.18 in) long.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy
Leucopogon esquamatus was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown in his Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae.[5][6] The specific epithet (esquamatus) means "without scales", possibly to distinguish it from other similar plants with scale-like leaves.[7]
Distribution and habitat
Swamp beard-heath usually grows in swampy heath, sometimes in forest or at the base of sandstone cliffs and is found in New South Wales south from Brooms Head near Angourie to poorly-drained near-coastal heath as far west as Marlo in north-eastern Victoria. It also grows on sandy headlands on Flinders and Cape Barren Islands in Tasmania.[2][3][4]
References
- ^ a b "Leucopogon esquamatus". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ a b c Powell, Jocelyn M. "Leucopogon esquamatus". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ a b Powell, Jocelyn M.; Walsh, Neville G.; Brown, Elizabeth A. "Styphelia esquamata". Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Threatened species link Leucopogon esquamatus". Tasmanian Government Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ "Leucopogon esquamatus". APNI. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ Brown, Robert (1810). Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. London. p. 546. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
- ^ Les Robinson – Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, ISBN 978-0-7318-1211-0 page 108
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- Leucopogon
- Ericales of Australia
- Flora of New South Wales
- Flora of Victoria (Australia)
- Flora of Tasmania
- Plants described in 1810
- Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)