Acrotriche depressa explained

Acrotriche depressa, commonly known as wiry ground-berry[1] or honeypots, is a flowering plant in the family Ericaceae. It is a small shrub with crowded greyish-green leaves and white or green flowers and grows in southern Australia.

Description

Acrotriche depressa is a small, dense, mat forming, upright shrub to high, in diameter and branchlets covered in soft, upright hairs to rigid, long, upright hairs. The leaves are crowded, spreading or slightly erect, greyish olive green, narrow-triangular, long, wide, margins slightly recurved, usually toothed, veined on lower surface, pointed at the apex and in whorls around the stem. The white or greenish tubular flowers are long in dense clusters of 5-10 on spikes long hidden amongst older branches. The bracteoles mostly long, sepals long. Flowering occurs from August to September and the fruit is a drupe, globular-shaped, greyish green, dark purple at maturity and up to wide.[2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Acrotriche depressa was first formally described in 1810 by Robert Brown and the description was published in Prodromus florae Novae Hollandiae.[6] [7] The specific epithet (depressa) means "depressed" referring to its growth habit.[8]

Distribution and habitat

Honeypots grows in sclerophyll forest on a variety of soils, including loam, basalt, granite and sandy soil in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales.[1] [3] [5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Acrotriche depressa . VICFLORA-flora of Victoria . Royal Botanic Garden Victoria . 15 February 2023.
  2. Book: Elliot . W.R. . Jones . D.L. . Enclyclopaedia of Australian Plants . 2 . 1982 . 0-85091-143-5.
  3. Web site: Powell . J.M . Acrotriche depressa . PlantNET-NSW flora online . Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney . 17 February 2023.
  4. Book: Sharp . Sarah . Rehwinkel . Rainer . Mallinson . Dave . Eddy . David . Woodland Flora a Field Guide for the Southern Tableland (NSW & ACT) . 2015 . Horizons Print Management . Canberra . 9780994495808.
  5. Book: Cosgrove . Meredith . Photographic Guide to Native Plants of the Australian Capital Territory . 2014 . Meadow Argus . 9780994183408 . 106.
  6. Web site: Acrotriche depressa . Australian Plant Name Index . 2 July 2024.
  7. Book: Brown . Robert . Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae . 1810 . Typis R Taylor, veneunt apud J. Johnson . London . 548 . 2 July 2024.
  8. Book: George . Alex . Sharr . Francis . Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings . 2021 . Four Gables Press . Kardinya, WA . 9780958034180 . 116 . 4th.