Municipalities

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Scientific Name

Montitega dealbata

Family Name

EPACRIDACEAE

Common Name

Silver Mat Heath

Status

Height

Flowers

White, tube longer than sepals. Flowers solitry in leaf axils.

Fruit

Berries or drupes

Form

Prostrate with slender woody branches forming a dense mat 15-40cm in diameter

Municipalities

Break O'Day; Central Highlands; Derwent Valley; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; Launceston; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; West Coast

Communities

Montane Vegetation

Habitat Notes

Tas. endemic. Widespread as dominant in mat heath on the summit of mountains and subordinate in other types of heath .

Site Tolerance

Exposed; Moist; Rocky; Shady; Windy

Frost Tolerance

Hardy

Soil Tolerance

Fertile; Loam; Phosphorous intolerant; Poor; Poorly-drained; Well-drained

General Notes

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

Fruit, red, spherical, c 5mm in dia. after collection masticate seed , leave on a hot window sill or store in paper bags and then remove dried seed case

Seed Treatment Method

Fermentation

Seed Storage Life

Viable Seeds Per Gram

Seed Treatment Notes

Very difficult to grow from seed. May take 1-3 years to germinate.

Germination Time

1-3 years

Suitable for Direct Seeding

Cuttings

Expected Time to Take Root

Expected Time to Plant Out

Propagation by Division N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.

Cutting Notes

Usually grown from cuttings. Care must be taken in handling the typically fine roots of epacrids. In cultivation they require a well-composted soil and heavy shade. In less favourable conditions growth is extremely slow.