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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Ericaceae
Astroloma humifusum

Citation: R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 538 (1810).

Synonymy: Ventenatia humifusa Cav., Icon. 4:28, t. 348 (1797); Styphelia humifusa (Cav.)Pers., Syn. Pl. 1:174 (1805); A. denticulatum R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 538 (1810); A. humifusum (Cav.)R. Br. var. denticulatum (R. Br.)J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 446 (1926).

Common name: Native cranberry, cranberry heath.

Description:
Usually prostrate shrub forming mats 30-40 cm across or ascending to 30 cm; leaves sometimes with the apex recurved, linear, narrow-elliptic to oblanceolate, thin, flat, 6-18 mm long, 0.6-2.4 mm wide, tip c. 1 mm long, margin usually straight, denticulate-ciliolate, surfaces glabrous or minutely scabrous, striate-veined below; petiole 0.

Flowers bright-red; bracts, bracteoles and sepals mucronate, glabrous; bracts 4-7, from 0.5 x 0.4 to 1.5-2.4 x 1-1.7 mm; bracteoles 2.5-3.5 x 1.82.5 mm; sepals ovate, to ovate-oblong, 4.3-7 x 1.7-2.6 mm, often puberulent inside at the base; corolla tube cylindrical, 7-12 mm long, constricted 4-5 mm from the base, lobes triangular, 3.7-5.3 x 1.2-2 mm long, acute-mucronate, densely bearded inside except at the tip; anthers 1.3-2.4 mm long, attached near the top; ovary 1-1.5 x 0.9-1.55 mm, glabrous; style 8.5-15 mm long; nectary 0.4-0.8 mm high.

Fruit spherical to oblong, 4.9-6 x 3.5-4.8 mm, glabrous.

Published illustration: Cochrane et al. (1968) Flowers and plants of Victoria, fig. 34 as Styphelia humifusa.

Distribution:  Occurs in open forest and in mallee scrub on loam or more sandy soils over granite or limestone.

  W.Aust.; N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: Feb. — Dec.; fruit: June — Nov.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Taxonomic notes: Considerable variation in plant habit, leaf size, shape and hairiness and corolla tube length is shown by this species but the variation appears to be continuous and hence var. denticulatum (R. Br.)J. Black is not accepted.

Author: Not yet available


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