''Epacris'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of about forty species of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s in the family
Ericaceae. It was formerly treated in a closely related but separate family Epacridaceae, but the various
genera within
Epacridaceae including ''Epacris'' have been revised in their relationships to each other and brought under the common umbrella of the Ericaceae. The genus ''Epacris'' is native to eastern and southeastern Australia (southeast
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
south 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 ...
and west to southeast
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
), and New Zealand. The species are known as
heaths or Australian heaths.
Description
Plants in the
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
''Epacris'' are shrubs with simple leaves that are a similar colour on both surfaces and with flowers arranged singly in leaf
axils near the ends of the branches, sometimes extending along the branches. Each flower is surrounded by many
bracts and five, usually
glabrous 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. The
petals are joined to produce a cylindrical or bell-like tube with five lobes on the end. There are five
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 which are mostly enclosed in the tube, and a single
style which protrudes from the tube. The fruit is a
capsule.
Taxonomy and naming
The genus ''Epacris'' was first formally described in 1797 by
Antonio José Cavanilles, who published the description in ''Icones et Descriptiones Plantarum''.
Cavanilles did not specify a
type species but in 1983
Edward Groesbeck Voss nominated ''
Epacris longiflora'' as the
lectotype. The genus name (''Epacris'') is derived from an
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
word meaning "on the summit", referring to habitat preference.
Distribution
Species of ''Epacris'' are found in all Australian states except the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
and
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
. Three further species are found in New Zealand. The New Zealand species ''
E. pauciflora'' has been reported from
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
, but this report is now regarded as an error.
Species
The following is a list of species recognised by the
Australian Plant Census or by the
New Zealand Plant Conservation Network as at April 2022:
* ''
Epacris acuminata''
Benth. (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris alpina''
Hook.f. (N.Z.)
* ''
Epacris apiculata''
A.Cunn. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris apsleyensis''
Crowden (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris barbata''
Melville – bearded heath (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris breviflora''
Stapf – drumstick heath (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.)
* ''
Epacris browniae''
Coleby (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris calvertiana''
F.Muell. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris celata''
Crowden (N.S.W., Vic.)
* ''
Epacris cerasicollina''
Crowden (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris coriacea''
A.Cunn. ex DC. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris corymbiflora''
Hook.f. (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris crassifolia''
R.Br. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris curtisiae''
Jarman (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris decumbens''
( I.Telford) E.A.Br. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris exserta''
R.Br. – South Esk heath (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris franklinii''
Hook.f. (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris glabella''
Jarman – smooth heath (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris glacialis''
(F.Muell.) M.Gray (N.S.W., Vic.)
* ''
Epacris gnidioides''
( Summerh.) E.A.Br. (N.S.W.
* ''
Epacris grandis''
Crowden (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris graniticola''
Crowden (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris gunnii''
Hook.f. - coral heath (N.S.W., Vic., Tas.)
* ''
Epacris hamiltonii''
Maiden & Betche (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris heteronema''
Labill. (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris impressa''
Labill. - common or pink heath (Vic., N.S.W., S.A., Tas.)
* ''
Epacris lanuginosa''
Labill. - woolly-style heath (N.S.W., Vic., Tas.)
* ''
Epacris limbata''
K.J.Williams & F.Duncan (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris lithophila''
Crowden & Menadue (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris longiflora''
Cav. - fuchsia heath (Qld., N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris marginata''
Melville (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris microphylla''
R.Br. - coral heath (Qld., N.S.W., Vic.)
* ''
Epacris moscaliana''
Crowden (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris mucronulata''
R.Br. (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris muelleri''
Sond. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris myrtifolia''
Labill. (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris navicularis''
Jarman (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris obtusifolia''
Sm. - blunt-leaf heath (Qld., N.S.W., Vic., Tas.)
* ''
Epacris paludosa''
R.Br. - swamp heath (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.)
* ''
Epacris pauciflora''
A.Rich. - tamingi (N.Z.)
* ''
Epacris petrophila''
Hook.f. - snow heath (N.S.W., A.C.T., Vic., Tas.)
* ''
Epacris pilosa''
Crowden (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris pinoidea''
Crowden & Menadue (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris pulchella''
Cav. – wallum heath (Qld., N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris purpurascens''
Banks ex Sims - Port Jackson heath (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris reclinata''
A.Cunn. ex Benth. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris rhombifolia''
( L.R.Fraser & Vickery) Menadue (N.S.W., Vic.)
* ''
Epacris rigida''
Sieber ex Spreng. - keeled heath (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris robusta''
Benth. – round-leaf heath (N.S.W., A.C.T.)
* ''
Epacris serpyllifolia''
R.Br. - thyme heath (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris sinclairii''
Hook.f. - Sinclair's tamingi (N.Z.)
* ''
Epacris sparsa''
R.Br. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris sprengelioides''
(Maiden & Betche) E.A.Br. (N.S.W.)
* ''
Epacris stuartii''
Stapf (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris tasmanica''
W.M.Curtis (Tas.)
* ''
Epacris virgata''
Hook.f. (Tas.)
Images
Image:Epacris_microphylla.jpg, '' Epacris microphylla''
Image:Epacris_pulchella.jpg, '' Epacris pulchella''
Image:Epacris purpurascens (Edwards).jpg, '' Epacris purpurascens''
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2589976
Ericaceae genera