Epacris

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Asterids
Ordo: Ericales

Familia: Ericaceae
Subfamilia: Epacridoideae
Tribus: Epacrideae
Genus: Epacris
Species: E. acuminata – E. alpina – E. apsleyensis – E. barbata – E. breviflora – E. calvertiana – E. celata – E. cerasicollona – E. corymbiflora – E. crassifolia – E. diosmifolia – E. exserta – E. franklinii – E. glabella – E. glacialis – E. grandis – E. graniticola – E. gunnii – E. hamiltonii – E. heteronema – E. heteronema – E. impressa – E. lanuginosa – E. limbata – E. lithophila – E. longiflora – E. marginata – E. microphylla – E. moscalianus – E. mucronulata – E. muelleri – E. myrtifolia – E. obtusifolia – E. paludosa – E. pauciflora – E. petrophila – E. pinoidea – E. pulchella – E. purpurascens – E. reclinata – E. rhombifolia – E. rigida – E. serpyllifolia – E. sparsa – E. squarrosa – E. stuartii – E. virgata

E. × autumnalis

Name

Epacris Cav. Icon. 4: 25, t. 344. (1797) nom. cons.
Type species: Epacris longiflora Cav. Icon. 4: 25, t. 344. (1797)

Synonyms

Homonym
Epacris J.R.Forst. & G.Forst., Characteres Generum Plantarum 10. 1775.

References

Cavanilles, A.J. 1797. Icones et descriptiones plantarum, quae aut sponte in Hispania crescunt, aut in hortis hospitantur. Vol. IV. III + 82 pp., tab. 301–400. Ex Regia Typographia, Matriti [Madrid]. Biblioteca Digital. Reference page. : 4: 25, t. 344

Links

Hassler, M. 2020. Epacris. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2020. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Apr 22. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Epacris in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Apr 22. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Epacris. Published online. Accessed: Apr 22 2020.
Tropicos.org 2020. Epacris. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Apr 22.

Vernacular names
English: Australian and New Zealand Heaths
русский: Эпакрис

Epacris is a genus of about forty species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. It was formerly treated in a closely related but separate family Epacridaceae, but the various genera within Epacridaceae including Epacris have been revised in their relationships to each other and brought under the common umbrella of the Ericaceae. The genus Epacris is native to eastern and southeastern Australia(southeast Queensland south to Tasmania and west to southeast South Australia), New Caledonia and New Zealand. The species are known as heaths or Australian heaths.

Description

Plants in the genus Epacris are shrubs with simple leaves that are a similar colour on both surfaces and with flowers arranged singly in leaf axils near the ends of the branches, sometimes extending along the branches. Each flower is surrounded by many bracts and five, usually glabrous sepals. The petals are joined to produce a cylindrical or bell-like tube with five lobes on the end. There are five stamens which are mostly enclosed in the tube, and a single style which protrudes from the tube. The fruit is a capsule.[1]
Taxonomy and naming

The genus Epacris was first formally described in 1797 by Antonio José Cavanilles, who published the description in Icones et Descriptiones Plantarum.[2] Cavanilles did not specify a type species but in 1983 Edward Groesbeck Voss nominated Epacris longiflora as the lectotype. The genus name (Epacris) is derived from an Ancient Greek word meaning "pointed at the end".[3]
Distribution

Species of Epacris are found in all Australian states except the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Two species are found in New Zealand and one in New Caledonia.[4]
Species

The following is a list of species recognised by the Australian Plant Census as at September 2019:[5]

Epacris acuminata
Epacris apiculata
Epacris apsleyensis
Epacris barbata
Epacris breviflora
Epacris browniae
Epacris calvertiana
Epacris celata
Epacris cerasicollina
Epacris coriacea
Epacris corymbiflora
Epacris crassifolia
Epacris curtisiae
Epacris decumbens
Epacris exserta
Epacris franklinii
Epacris glabella
Epacris glacialis
Epacris gnidioides
Epacris grandis
Epacris graniticola
Epacris gunnii - coral heath
Epacris hamiltonii
Epacris heteronema
Epacris impressa - common or pink heath
Epacris lanuginosa - woolly heath
Epacris limbata
Epacris lithophila
Epacris longiflora - fuchsia heath
Epacris marginata
Epacris microphylla - coral heath
Epacris moscaliana
Epacris mucronulata
Epacris muelleri
Epacris myrtifolia
Epacris navicularis
Epacris obtusifolia - blunt-leaf heath
Epacris paludosa - swamp heath
Epacris petrophila
Epacris pilosa
Epacris pinoidea
Epacris pulchella
Epacris purpurascens - Port Jackson heath
Epacris reclinata
Epacris rhombifolia
Epacris rigida - keeled heath
Epacris robusta
Epacris serpyllifolia - thyme heath
Epacris sparsa
Epacris sprengelioides
Epacris stuartii
Epacris tasmanica
Epacris virgata

The National Herbarium of New South Wales also lists Epacris browniae,[6] Epacris muelleri[7] and Epacris rhombifolia[8] and the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria accepts E. rhombifolia.[9]
Images

Epacris microphylla

Epacris pulchella

Epacris purpurascens

References

Powell, Jocelyn M. "Epacris". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
"Epacris". APNI. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
Craig, John (1854). A New Universal, Technological, Etymological, and Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language. 1. London: George Routledge & Co. p. 645. "EPACRIS ep'-a-kris, s (epi 'upon' and akros 'the summit', Gr. in allusion to the habitation of the species on the tops of hills.) A genus of plants consisting of small and usually glabrous shrubs with axillary, white, or purplish flowers generally disposed in leafy spikes: Type of the order Epacridaceae."
Albrecht, David E. "Epacris". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
"Epacris". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
"Epacris browniae". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
"Epacris muelleri". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
"Epacris rhombifolia". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
"Epacris rhombifolia". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 1 January 2018.