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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Leucopogon virgatus

Citation: R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 543 (1810).

Synonymy: Styphelia virgata Labill., Nov. Holl. Pl. Sp. 1:46, t. 64 (1805).

Common name: Common bearded-heath.

Description:
Slender shrub, 35-60 cm high; stems red-brown; leaves scattered, or sometimes crowded apically, erect to spreading, linear-lanceolate to ovate, 3-21.8 mm long, 0.9-3.3 mm wide, apex acuminate to acute, mucronulate, base acute, margin sometimes incurved, entire or serrulate, lamina thick, concave, lower surface with a broad thick midrib plus 2 parallel veins, then reticulate to the margin; petiole to 1 mm or 0.

Flowers white or pinkish, in 5-9 mm long spikes, solitary in the upper axils or densely clustered when terminal, with 4-7 flowers plus 1-4 sterile bracts per spike; bracts 0.8-1.45 x 0.6-1.35 mm, acute to obtuse; bracteoles 1.05-2.05 x 0.8-1.45 mm, acute, with the midrib scabrous towards the apex; sepals 1.9-2.85 x 0.95-1.7 mm, almost obtuse, surfaces sometimes puberulent towards the apex; corolla tube cylindrical to campanulate, 1.55-2.2 mm long, with the upper 0.4-1 mm finely villous inside, lobes 1.95-2.5 x 0.7-1.1 mm, acute, often recurved, sparsely to densely bearded inside; anthers 1.15-1.75 mm long, sterile tip 0.2-0.35 mm long; ovary 0.5-0.75 x 0.55-0.9 mm, 4-celled; style (rarely 0.15) 0.25-0.5 mm long, not exserted; nectary continuous, 0.2-0.45 mm high, the upper margin entire to lobed.

Fruit oblong, just exceeding or equal to the calyx, 2.2-2.3 x 1.65 mm, smooth, apex flat.

Published illustration: Rotherham et al. (1975) Flowers and plants of New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, fig. 41.

Distribution:  Found in sclerophyll forest and open forest, in malice scrub and in heathlands on sandy soils.

  N.S.W.; Vic.; Tas.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: July — Jan.; fruit: Oct. — March or occasionally persistent throughout the year.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available


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