| Fuchsia Heath | |
|---|---|
| Epacris longiflora in flower at Grotto Point Reserve, Sydney | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Epacris |
| Species: | E. longiflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Epacris longiflora Cav. |
|
The Fuchsia Heath (Epacris longiflora) is a plant, typically found in Australian belonging to the heath family whose native range extends from the central coast of New South Wales to southern Queensland. The long tubular flowers give it the name longiflora and are present most of the year.
Fuchsia Heath is a erect to spreading shrub of 50–200 cm in hight and stems with prominent short broad leaf scars.
Leaves are ovate, 5.6–17 mm long, 3–6.6 mm wide, apex acuminate, base obtuse or cordate, margins minutely toothed, spreading to ± reflexed, lamina thin, flat, sometimes scabrous on upper surface.
Flowers are red-tubed with white lobes, or all white, peduncle to 2 mm long, and bracts usually long-acuminate. Sepals 4.5–6 mm long. Corolla tube 12–27 mm long and lobes are erect to spreading of about 2.4–4.4 mm in length. Anthers hidden in tube.The flowers are initially erect extending down branches,later pendent.
Fruits are capsules of 3–4 mm in length with seeds of size 0.74 x 0.5 mm, average weight of 0.10--0.15 mg.
Fuchsia Heath have been found to grow in sandy soils on cliff faces, heath to woodland margins and dry sclerophyll forests.