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Acrotriche divaricata R.Br.
Family Ericaceae
Subfamily Epacridoideae
Acrotriche divaricata R.Br. APNI*

Description: Erect bushy shrub, 0.6–1.5 m high.

Leaves horizontal, usually lanceolate but sometimes oblong-elliptic to elliptic, 6–16 mm long, 1.7–4.2 mm wide; margins entire; lamina dull, lower surface finely striate-veined; petiole 0.5–1 mm long.

Flowers 3–5 per spike, green or cream; bracteoles 0.5–0.9 mm long. Sepals 1.4–2.8 mm long. Corolla tube 1.3–1.9 mm long; lobes 1–1.3 mm long. Ovary 4- or 5-locular.

Fruit globose, 2.3–3 mm diam., ± fleshy, bright or dark red.


Fruit
Photo T.M. Tame

Other photo
Photo T.M. Tame

Herbarium
Sheet

Type
Specimen

Flowering: July–September, rarely December

Distribution and occurrence: Grows in rainforest and sclerophyll forest to low scrub on sandy soils and sandstone; chiefly south from Newcastle district.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST
Other Australian states: Vic.
AVH map***

Text by J. M. Powell, except for groups with contributors listed
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)


ECOLOGY

Life History
Longevity ? 20--100 years.

Flowers Green or cream, May--September.

Fruit/seed Succulent fruit (drupe), 3 mm diam., bright or dark red, mature September--December.

Dispersal, establishment and growth Diaspore: fruit, possibly bird-dispersed. Germination difficult and slow, 3--7 months (A. Bofeldt pers. comm.).

Fire response Killed by high intensity fire (at Narrabeen Lake 1/1994, P. Kubiak pers. comm.).

Interaction with other organisms Fruit eaten by birds (A. Bofeldt pers. comm.).


Habitat
Habitat Well-drained slopes and banks, sheltered areas, gullies, creek banks (A. Bofeldt pers. comm.).

Altitude 0--1200 m                                      Annual rainfall above 800 mm

Typical local abundance Rare--occasional.

Vegetation Heath and low scrub e.g. Allocasuarina distyla. Moist eucalypt forest e.g. with Syncarpia glomulifera, Allocasuarina torulosa, Angophora costata. Warm temperate rainforest and rainforest/open-forest ecotone (A. Bofeldt pers. comm.).

Substrate Poor sandy soils from sandstone, shale, low nutrients. Sometimes rocky areas, very well drained (A. Bofeldt pers. comm.).

Exposure Sheltered, mid--deep shade.


APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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