Fuchsia heath

Epacris longiflora

"Epacris longiflora", commonly known as the fuchsia heath, is a plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. 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 to southern Queensland.
Fuchsia Heath The natural range of our pretty Epacris longiflora extends from coastal New South Wales north of Berry up to southern Queensland. Seen within Malabar Headland National Park. It grows in coastal heath and likes a well-drained but moist, sandy soil and is particularly common along seepage lines on sandstone. An erect, spreading shrub to 2 m high. The leaves are about 2 cm long and 7 mm wide, with a sharp narrowing point; mid to dark green in colour. Flowers extend down branches, produced within the leaves, to around 3 cm long, red/pink with white tips. Dynamic in colour against the foliage. Australia,Botany,Epacris longiflora,Ericaceae,Ericales,Fall,Flora,Fuchsia Heath,Fuchsia heath,Geotagged,New South Wales,autumn,pink flowers

Appearance

"Epacris longiflora" is an erect to spreading shrub which grows to a height of 50–200 cm and has stems with prominent short, broad leaf scars. The leaves are egg-shaped, 5.6–17 mm long, 3–6.6 mm 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 2 mm long. There are five petals which are fused to form a tube with five lobes at the end. The tube is 12–27 mm long, 5–6 mm in diameter and the lobes are 2.4–4.4 mm long. At the base of the petal tube there are whorls of bracts and five sepals 4.5–6 mm long. Within the petal tube there is a central style with the stigma at its tip and an ovary at its base. The stamens are hidden inside the tube. Flowering occurs throughout the year, although there are fewer flowers in summer. The fruits are capsules 3–4 mm long containing small, light seeds.

Naming

"Epacris longiflora" was first formally described by Antonio José Cavanilles in 1797 and the description was published in "Icones et descriptiones plantarum". The specific epithet is derived from the Latin words "longus" meaning "long" or "extended":494 and "flos" meaning "flower".:466 One vernacular name is cigarette flower, from the pattern on the flower.

Distribution

Fuchsia heath is found on the coast and tablelands north from Berry and as far as south-eastern Queensland.

Habitat

It grows in sandy soil on cliff faces, in heath to woodland margins and in dry sclerophyll forest.Plants are thought to live 5–20 years in the wild.

References:

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Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderEricales
FamilyEricaceae
GenusEpacris
SpeciesE. longiflora
Photographed in
Australia