Home
Calendar
Past Events
About Us
Contact
Membership
Links
Plant Database
Search
Family Index
Communities
Municipalities
Threatened Species
Botanical Glossary
Newsletters
Bush Sounds
Municipalities
Scientific Name
Epacris obtusifolia
Family Name
EPACRIDACEAE
Common Name
Blunt-leafed Heath
Status
Height
0.2m - 1.2m (20-120cm)
Flowers
White or cream in spikes at ends of slender often unbranched stems 30cm-1m.
Fruit
Papery capsule
Form
Shrub with slender, erect branches, sometimes hairy.
Municipalities
Break O'Day; Burnie; Derwent Valley; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Huon Valley; King Island; Kingborough; Latrobe; Meander Valley; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar
Communities
Heath; Riparian
Habitat Notes
Tas. endemic. Damp heaths and wet places.
Site Tolerance
Moist
Frost Tolerance
Soil Tolerance
Fertile; Loam; Phosphorous intolerant; Poor; Well-drained
General Notes
Seed of some species exhibits a dormancy which is reportedly overcome by storage in a dark place for 3- 6 months. If using bog method seed should be spread over surface of propagation mixture . If the medium is then kept constantly moist, germination should occur within 10-20 weeks. Suitable below powerlines.
Propagation Details
Propagation Calendar
Flowering Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Seed Collecting Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Sowing Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Cutting Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Seed Information
Seed Collection
When the lower capsule on the stem has opened the capsules higher on the stem are ready for collection. sheds seed on maturity so requires monitoring. may need lght threshing to extract seed
Seed Treatment Method
Seed Storage Life
Viable Seeds Per Gram
Seed Treatment Notes
Difficult to grow from seed. Smoke treatment has been found to significantly improve results for species with smaller seeds. Species with woody fruits and larger seeds are not responsive. The bog method and older seed may improve results.* See gen. notes.
Germination Time
Suitable for Direct Seeding
No
Cuttings
Expected Time to Take Root
Expected Time to Plant Out
Propagation by Division
N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.
No
Cutting Notes
Grown from tip cuttings, best taken in March and placed into indiviidual tubes. This avoids problems in the growing on process due to the very fine root systems. Cuttings from cultivated plants or nursery stock can probably be taken any time of year if good material is available.
Copyright 2000-2009, Understorey Network Incorporated. Updated 2024-10-12
Database development and website design by
Andrew Smith