| Styphelia tubiflora | |
|---|---|
| |
| In Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Australia | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Styphelia |
| Species: | S. tubiflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Styphelia tubiflora Sm. | |
Styphelia tubiflora, commonly known as red five-corners, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to eastern New South Wales. It is an erect to spreading shrub with oblong to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and usually red, tube-shaped flowers.
Description
Styphelia tubiflora is an erect to spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 20–90 cm (7.9–35.4 in) and has branchlets with soft hairs. Its leaves are oblong or egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 7–24 mm (0.28–0.94 in) long and 1.5–3.3 mm (0.059–0.130 in) long on a petiole 0.4–0.6 mm (0.016–0.024 in) long. The tip of the leaf narrows and the upper surface is often rough to the touch.
The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils and are nearly sessile or on a very short peduncle, usually red, sometimes cream-coloured or pale yellowish-green. There arebracteoles 2.6–4.0 mm (0.10–0.16 in) long at the base of the flowers and the sepals are 8.4–11.4 mm (0.33–0.45 in) long. The petals are joined at the base, forming a tube 14.6–25 mm (0.57–0.98 in) long with narrow lobes 11.5–14.0 mm (0.45–0.55 in) long.
Flowering occurs from April to August, and the fruit is a dry, rounded capsule about 5 mm (0.20 in) long with a tiny "skirt" around one end.
Taxonomy
Styphelia tubiflora was first formally described in 1795 by James Edward Smith in his A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland from specimens collected by John White. The specific epithet (tubiflora) means "tubular-flowered". Smith described the plant as having "transcendent elegance", and noted its resemblance to "the favourite Erica tubiflora" (now known as Erica curviflora var. curviflora).
Distribution and habitat
Red five-corners grows on ridges and hillsides in woodland, forest and heath and is widespread between Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Jervis Bay.
References
- "Styphelia tubiflora". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2010). Native Plants of the Sydney Region. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Jacana Books. ISBN 9781741755718.
- ^ Powell, Jocelyn M. "Styphelia tubiflora"". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- Bentham, George (1868). Flora Australiensis. Vol. 4. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 148. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Benson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (1995). "Ecology of Sydney Plant Species". Cunninghamia. 4 (2): 388–389. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- "Styphelia tubiflora". APNI. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
- ^ Smith, James Edward (1795). A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland. Vol. 1. London: J. Sowerby. pp. 45–48. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- "Erica curviflora var. curviflora". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
| Taxon identifiers | |
|---|---|
| Styphelia tubiflora | |