''Epacris longiflora'', commonly known as fuchsia heath or cigarette flower, is a plant in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. It is an erect or spreading shrub with egg-shaped, pointed leaves and red tube-shaped flowers which give the plant its name ''longiflora'' and are usually present throughout the year. Its native range extends from the central coast of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

to southern

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 ...

Description

''Epacris longiflora'' is an erect to spreading shrub which grows to a height of and has stems with prominent short, broad leaf scars. The leaves are egg-shaped, long, wide with a pointed tip. The leaves are thin, flat and have margins with minute teeth. The flowers are red with a white tip, sometimes all red and have a peduncle up to long. There are five

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s which are fused to form a tube with five lobes at the end. The tube is long, in diameter and the lobes are long. At the base of the petal tube there are

whorls A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). In nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral diagram ...

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 ...

s and five

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 long. Within the petal tube there is a central

style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...

with the stigma at its tip and an

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 ...

at its base. The

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 are hidden inside the tube. Flowering occurs throughout the year, although there are fewer flowers in summer. The fruits are capsules long containing small, light seeds.

Taxonomy and naming

''Epacris longiflora'' was first formally described by

Antonio José Cavanilles Antonio José Cavanilles (16 January 1745 – 5 May 1804) was a leading Spanish taxonomic botanist, artist and one of the most important figures in the 18th century period of Enlightenment in Spain. Cavanilles is most famous for his 2-vol ...

in 1797 and the description was published in his book ''Icones et descriptiones plantarum''. The

specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...

(''longiflora'') means "long-flowered". The vernacular name "cigarette flower" is from the pattern on the flower.

Distribution and habitat

Fuchsia heath is found on the coast and tablelands from south-eastern Queensland to

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

in New South Wales. It grows in sandy soil on cliff faces, in heath to woodland margins and in dry sclerophyll forest.

Ecology

Plants are thought to live 5–20 years in the wild.

Use in horticulture

A highly regarded ornamental garden plant, ''E. longiflora'' was first cultivated in England in 1803. It grows in a variety of soils as long as the drainage is good, and does best in a partly shaded position. Along with other members of the genus, ''Epacris longiflora'' initially proved difficult to grow and maintain on original soil in the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.

References

External links

* *{{Wikispecies-inline, Epacris longiflora, ''Epacris longiflora'' longiflora Ericales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1797 Taxa named by Antonio José Cavanilles