''Astroloma'' is an endemic

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of around 20 species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the family

Ericaceae The Ericaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the heath or heather family, found most commonly in acidic and infertile growing conditions. The family is large, with c.4250 known species spread across 124 genera, making it th ...

. The majority of the species are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, but a few species occur in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

and

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. The genus was first described by Robert Brown in 1810 in

Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae ''Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen'' (Prodromus of the Flora of New Holland and Van Diemen's Land) is a flora of Australia written by botanist Robert Brown and published in 1810. Often referred to as ''Prodromus Flora Novae ...

. The name ''Astroloma'' is derived from the Ancient Greek words ''astron'' = a star and ''loma'' = a fringe, alluding to five tufts of hairs which form a star at the bottom of the inside of the floral tube. Species include: *'' Astroloma baxteri'' A.Cunn. ex DC. *'' Astroloma cataphractum'' A.J.G.Wilson MS *'' Astroloma ciliatum'' (Lindl.) Druce *'' Astroloma compactum'' R.Br. *''

Astroloma conostephioides ''Stenanthera conostephioides'', commonly known as flame heath, is a species of small shrub that is Endemism, endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has linear to lance-shaped leaves, red, tubular flowers and green, oval fruit turni ...

'' (Sond.) F.Muell. ex Benth. - Flame heath *'' Astroloma drummondii'' Sond. *'' Astroloma epacridis'' (DC.) Druce *'' Astroloma foliosum'' Sond. - Candle cranberry *'' Astroloma glaucescens'' Sond. *''

Astroloma humifusum ''Astroloma humifusum'', commonly known as the native cranberry or cranberry heath, is a small prostrate shrub or groundcover in the heath family Ericaceae. The species is endemic to south-eastern Australia. Description ''Astroloma humifusum'' g ...

'' (Cav.) R.Br. - Cranberry heath *'' Astroloma macrocalyx'' Sond. *'' Astroloma microcalyx'' Sond. *'' Astroloma microdonta'' Benth. *'' Astroloma microphyllum'' Stschegl. *'' Astroloma pallidum'' R.Br. *'' Astroloma pedicellatum'' A.J.G.Wilson MS *''

Astroloma pinifolium ''Astroloma pinifolium'', commonly known as pine heath, is small prostrate shrub or groundcover in the family Ericaceae endemic to eastern Australia. Taxonomy It was initially described by the botanist Robert Brown in his 1810 work Prodromus Fl ...

'' (R.Br.) Benth. - Pine heath *'' Astroloma recurvum'' * '' Astroloma stomarrhena'' Sond. * '' Astroloma xerophyllum'' Sond.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q218908 Ericales of Australia Endemic flora of Australia Ericaceae genera