''Acrotriche'' is a genus of about 18 species of flowering plants in the family

Ericaceae The Ericaceae () are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with about 4,250 known species spread acros ...

, occurring in all

states of Australia The states and territories are the national subdivisions and second level of government of Australia. The states are partially sovereign, administrative divisions that are self-governing polities, having ceded some sovereign rights to the f ...

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

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s and petals joined at the base to form a bell-shaped to cylindrical tube with hairs and

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s in the throat.

Description

Plants in the genus ''Acrotriche'' are shrubs with branchlets with fine, soft or downy hairs, and leaves with short petioles and more or less parallel veins and a lighter shade of green on the lower surface. The flowers are small and

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

or on a short spike in leaf axils with a

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

and 2

bracteoles In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...

below the 5 sepals. The bracts, bracteoles and sepals are egg-shaped to almost round. The 5 petals are joined at the base to form a bell-shaped or cylindrical tube with 5 tufts of hair in the throat and the tube filled with nectar. The petal lobes are triangular with the

anthers The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...

bent backwards between the lobes. The

ovary The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/ oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are end ...

is more or less spherical with 2 to 7

locule A locule (: locules) or loculus (; : loculi) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usually refers to a chamber within an ovary ...

s, each locule with one

ovule In seed plants, the ovule is the structure that gives rise to and contains the female reproductive cells. It consists of three parts: the ''integument'', forming its outer layer, the ''nucellus'' (or remnant of the sporangium, megasporangium), ...

. The fruit is a drupe with a pulpy

mesocarp Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Fruitlike structures may develop directly from the seed itself rather tha ...

and a hard

endocarp Fruits are the mature ovary or ovaries of one or more flowers. They are found in three main anatomical categories: aggregate fruits, multiple fruits, and simple fruits. Fruitlike structures may develop directly from the seed itself rather th ...

Taxonomy

The genus ''Acrotriche'' was first formally described in 1810 by

Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and author Entertainers and artists * Washboard Sam or Robert Brown (1910–1966), American musician and singer * Robert W. Brown (1917–2009), American printmaker ...

in his ''

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a book by the botanist Robert Brown Robert Brown may refer to: Robert Brown (born 1965), British Director, Animator and ...

''. The genus name (''Acrotriche'') means "hair at the end".

Species list

The following is a list of ''Acrotriche'' species accepted by

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Sys ...

as at April 2024: *'' Acrotriche affinis''

DC. Augustin Pyramus (or Pyrame) de Candolle (, , ; 4 February 17789 September 1841) was a Swiss botanist. René Louiche Desfontaines launched de Candolle's botanical career by recommending him at a herbarium. Within a couple of years de Candolle ...

- ridged ground-berry (S.A., Vic., Tas.) *'' Acrotriche aggregata'' R.Br. - red cluster heath, tall groundberry or tall acrotriche (Qld., N.S.W.) *'' Acrotriche baileyana'' ( Domin) J.M.Powell (Qld.) *'' Acrotriche cordata'' (Labill.) R.Br. - coast ground-berry (W.A., S.A., Vic., Tas.) *'' Acrotriche depressa'' R.Br. - wiry ground-berry (S.A., Vic.) *'' Acrotriche divaricata'' R.Br. (N.S.W.) *'' Acrotriche dura'' (

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

) Quinn (W.A.) *'' Acrotriche fasciculiflora'' ( Regel) Benth. – pink ground-berry (S.A.) *'' Acrotriche halmaturina'' B.R.Paterson (S.A.) *'' Acrotriche lancifolia'' Hislop (W.A.) *'' Acrotriche leucocarpa'' Jobson & Whiffin - tall acrotriche (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic.) *'' Acrotriche orbicularis'' Hislop (W.A.) *'' Acrotriche parviflora'' ( Stschegl.) Hislop (W.A.) *'' Acrotriche patula'' R.Br. (W.A., S.A.) *'' Acrotriche prostrata'' F.Muell. - trailing ground-berry (Vic.) *''

Acrotriche ramiflora ''Acrotriche ramiflora'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves and small pinkish, tube-shaped flowers and re ...

'' R.Br. (W.A.) *'' Acrotriche rigida'' B.R.Paterson (N.S.W.) *'' Acrotriche serrulata'' R.Br. - honeypots (S.A., N.S.W., A.C.T, Vic., Tas.)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2660248 Ericales of Australia Ericaceae genera Taxa named by Robert Brown (botanist, born 1773)