Leptecophylla juniperina explained

Leptecophylla juniperina is an Australasian species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae.

Subspecies

Three subspecies are recognised as follows:^[1]

• Leptecophylla juniperina (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) C.M.Weiller subsp. juniperina (New Zealand and Tasmania)^[2]
• Leptecophylla juniperina subsp. oxycedrus (Labill.) C.M.Weiller (Tasmania and Victoria)^[2]
• Leptecophylla juniperina subsp. parvifolia (R.Br.) C.M.Weiller (Tasmania)^[2]

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to New Zealand and the Australian states of Tasmania and Victoria.^[3] Plants grow best in areas with moderate winters and cool moist summers.

An example occurrence of L. juniperina is in the red and silver beech forests admixed with rimu and miro podocarps on northern South Island, New Zealand; associate understory species in this forest include Blechnum discolor.^[4]

Uses

The plant's fruit is edible, raw or cooked.

Common names

Common names in New Zealand include prickly heath and prickly mingimingi. Māori names for this plant include hukihuki, hukihukiraho, inakapōriro, inangapōriro, kūkuku, miki, mikimiki, mingi, mingimingi ngohungohu, pā tōtara, taumingi, tūmingi.^[5] In Australia, the subspecies parvifolia (syn. Cyathodes parviflora) is known as pink mountain berry.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Leptecophylla juniperina . 2009-05-10 . Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra.
2. Weiller, C.M.. 1999. Leptecophylla, a new genus for species formerly included in Cyathodes (Epacridaceae). . Muelleria. 12. 2. 201.
3. Web site: 2012-02-13 . Crown Fern (Blechnum discolor) - photo/images/information - GlobalTwitcher.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120213134120/http://www.globaltwitcher.com/artspec_information.asp?thingid=95431 . 2012-02-13 . 2019-05-16.
4. C. Michael Hogan. 2009
5. Web site: Leptecophylla juniperina (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) C.M.Weiller (1999) . New Zealand Plants Database. Landcare Research. 2009-07-13.
6. Book: Cochrane, G.R.. Fuhrer, B.A.. Rotherdam, E.M.. Simmons, J.. Simmons, M.. James Hamlyn Willis. Willis, J.H.. amp. Flowers and Plants of Victoria and Tasmania . A.H. & A.W. Reed. 1980 . 0-589-50256-5.