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COAST BEARD-HEATH FACTS |
Map is from The Atlas of Living Australia web site, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License
Common Name
Coast Beard-heath
Description
Coast Beard-heath is an erect shrub to small tree. Finer branches are softly hairy. Its stiff leaves are elliptical to oblanceolate (reversed spear-shaped), 10-30 mm long and 2.5-7.5 mm wide. Leaf margins and apex sometimes recurved. Underside of leaves paler than above.
The white flowers occur in dense spikes and the ends of branches or the axils between stems and leaves. Corolla tube 1.4-1.7 mm long with 2-3 mm long lobes. Tube softly hairy inside near the throat. Fruit is a globular drupe (berry), 4.-5 mm diameter and white.
Habitat
coastal sand dunes and heathland
Distribution
Coast Beard-heath is found in on the coast of south east Queensland, eastern New South Wales, Victoria, south east of South Australia, south west of Western Australia, Tasmania. It is also naturalised in New Zealand.
Growth Characteristics
Height (m): 2 - 4
Spread (m): 1 - 3
Soil Texture: sand, loam
Soil pH: acid soils, neutral soils, alkaliine soils
Frost Sensitivity: sensitive
Minimum Rainfall (mm): 500
Flower Colour: white
Flower Season: spring
(source: SA State Flora Catalog)
Wildlife Interest
The fruit is edible and sweet and dispersed by birds.
Classification
| Class: | Magnoliopsida | | Order: | Ericales | | Family: | Epacridaceae | | Genus: | Leucopogon | | Species: | parviflorus | | Common Name: | Coast Beard-heath |
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