''Dracophyllum minimum'', commonly known as heath cushionplant or claspleaf heath, is a species of bolster

cushion plant A cushion plant is a compact, low-growing, mat-forming plant that is found in alpine, subalpine, arctic, or subarctic environments around the world. The term "cushion" is usually applied to woody plants that grow as spreading mats, are limited i ...

endemic to

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, Australia. It is a low growing, highly compacted plant with white flowers, commonly found in alpine areas of the south, centre and west of Tasmania.

Description

''Dracophyllum minimum'' is a highly compacted cushion plant that grows close to the ground. It can form a large spreading mat, often interspersed with other cushion plant species such as ''Oreobolus pumilio'', ''

Abrotanella forsteroides ''Abrotanella forsteroides'', commonly known as the Tasmanian cushion plant, is an angiosperm endemic to Tasmania, Australia. The plant is a dicot species in the daisy family Asteraceae and can be identified by its bright green and compact cushi ...

'', '' Donatia novae-zelandiae'' and ''Mitrasacme archeri''. This undulating mat of mixed species is referred to as mosaic cushion heath. The leaves of ''D. minimum'' are bright green and sessile, with reddish tips and a broad sheathing base as long as the blade, approx . The flowers are small, solitary, white, and tubular, sitting directly on top of the foliage. The plant can often be mistaken for the vegetatively similar cushion plants ''Abrotanella forsterioides'' and ''Donatia novae-zelandieae'', however ''D. minimum'' is distinguished by its lack of a hairpoint on the leaf tip or hairy leaf axils. Cuchion plants are extremely slow growing and can occupy sites for a long period of time. File:Dracmini9307.jpg, Flowering cushion of ''D. minimum'' on Mount Field File:Dracmini 2038.jpg, Flowering ''D. minimum'' with ''P. lawrencii'' growing in between on Mount Field

Habitat

''Dracophyllum minimum'' is endemic to Tasmania. It is commonly found in alpine regions of the south, centre and west of Tasmania, at altitudes above , where snow may lie for several months of the year. It is generally found on shallow fibrous peaty soils with high rainfall and poor drainage. ''Dracophyllum minimum'' can grow individually, however it often occurs in cushion plant communities, consisting of a complex mix of cushion plant species, commonly , forming an extensive undulating mat. These communities can spread up to several hectares in area.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15377241

minimum In mathematical analysis, the maximum and minimum of a function are, respectively, the greatest and least value taken by the function. Known generically as extremum, they may be defined either within a given range (the ''local'' or ''relative ...

Ericales of Australia Flora of Tasmania Plants described in 1858 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller