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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Ericaceae
Epacris

Citation: Cav., Icon. 4:25, tt. 344 & 345 (1797).

Derivation: Greek epi, on; akris, hilltop; habitat of several species.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Native heaths.

Description:
Shrubs, usually erect, rigid; older stems usually red-brown, glabrous, with finely stringy bark; leaves sessile or petiolate, scattered or imbricate, sometimes stem-clasping, flat to concave or keeled with the venation inconspicuous or striate abaxially.

Flowers solitary, axillary, on short peduncles, confined to the upper leaf axils or extending along the branches; bracts numerous, imbricate, covering the peduncle and grading in size to the calyx; sepals 5, similar in texture to the bracts; corolla tube cylindrical or campanulate, white or red, lobes 5, spreading or erect, imbricate in bud; stamens 5, filaments short, inserted in the throat of the corolla tube; anthers versatile; ovary 5-celled, with numerous ovules in each cell, placentation axile; style inserted in a depression which may reach the middle of the ovary; nectary of 5 scales, rarely joined.

Fruit a capsule opening by 5 loculicidal lines, the valves separating from the central placenta; seeds numerous.

Distribution:  35 species, all Australian.

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available


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