Epacris impressa, also known as common heath, is native to southeast Australia. Four forms have been identified, but no subspecies are recognised. A pink-flowered form, often referred to as ‘pink heath’, is the floral emblem of the state of Victoria.
About Epacris impressa in brief
Epacris impressa, also known as common heath, is a plant of the heath family, Ericaceae, that is native to southeast Australia. French botanist Jacques Labillardière collected the species in 1793 and described it in 1805. Four forms have been identified, but no subspecies are recognised. Growing in heathland, shrubland or open forest, it is generally a small shrub around 0. 5 to 1 m tall, with small stiff leaves. The red, pink or white tube-like flowers appear from late autumn to early spring. Honeyeater birds, particularly the eastern spinebill, feed upon the nectar of the flowers. It regenerates after bushfire by seed or by resprouting. A pink-flowered form, often referred to as ‘pink heath’, is the floral emblem of the state of Victoria. It is a difficult plant to propagate reliably, which has limited its use in horticulture and revegetation. It grows best in well-drained but moist soil in a semishaded position. The fruit is a 5-locule capsule that is about 3. 5 mm in diameter, sometimes with one end flattened. Initially green, it dries and splits, releasing numerous tiny seeds. The original mounted specimen is currently held at the National Herbarium of Victoria at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. It was first cultivated in England in 1825; over seventy named cultivars have been developed, most of which have now vanished.
The seed had come from Tasmania, the resulting progeny flowering over April and May. A number of specimens once described as separate species are now regarded as Epacris impresseda, with no recognised subspecies. The Latin specific epithet impressa alludes to the indentations on the floral tube. The type specimen was collected in 1794 and described by Jacques Labilardière in Van Diemen’s Land during a voyage with Antoine Bruni d’Entrecasteaux. The flower is formed by five petals, fused at the base to form a tubelike structure, with the free petal ends forming five lobes at the apex. Within the corolla is a central style that persists through development of the fruit, where the ovary is also located. The flowers mainly occur between late autumn and early spring, arising in dense and sometimes pendulous clusters along the stems. They are 1–2 cm and are narrow and tubular with five indentation on the base. The fruits are globular in shape and are about 3-5 mm in diameter. The seeds come in a green, globular and yellowish-green form, sometimes flattened and with a red centre. The plant is a highly regarded garden plant, and is a popular choice of plants to grow in the UK and the U.S.
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This page is based on the article Epacris impressa published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 01, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
