''Epacris apsleyensis '' is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area of Tasmania. It is an erect shrub with hairy branchlets, lance-shaped to elliptic leaves and tube-shaped flowers with white petals.

Description

''Epacris apsleyensis'' is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of up to , its branchlets covered with reddish-brown hairs. The leaves are lance-shaped to elliptic, long and wide on a petiole about long. There are a few soft hairs on the upper surface of the leaves but the lower surface is glabrous. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils near the tips of the branches and are more or less sessile, with white, egg-shaped

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

s near the base. The sepals are white, egg-shaped to lance-shaped, long. The petals are white and joined at the base, forming a bell-shaped tube long with lobes long and wide. The style is long and is enclosed in the petal tube with the

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s. Flowering occurs from January to November.

Taxonomy and naming

''Epacris apsleyensis'' was first formally described in 1986 by

Ron Crowden Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in ''Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe A ...

in ''

Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania The Royal Society of Tasmania (RST) was formed in 1843. It was the first Royal Society outside the United Kingdom, and its mission is the advancement of knowledge. The work of the Royal Society of Tasmania includes: * Promoting Tasmanian historic ...

'' based on plant material he collected near Bicheno in 1984. The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''apsleyensis'') refers to the species' habitat near the Apsley River.

Distribution and habitat

This epacris grows in low, open forest near the Apsley River in eastern Tasmania.

Conservation status

''Epacris apsleyensis'' is classified as "endangered" under the Australian Government '' Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999'' and the Tasmanian Government '' Threatened Species Protection Act 1995''. The main threats to the species include dieback due to the fungus '' Phytophthora cinnamomi'', inappropriate fire regimes, land clearing and weed invasion.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15376148 apsleyensis Ericales of Australia Flora of Tasmania Plants described in 1986