''Eriostemon australasius'' commonly known as pink wax flower is a plant in the citrus

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Der ...

and is

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 else ...

to eastern Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with narrow oblong leaves and pink flowers with five petals in late winter and early spring.

Description

''Eriostemon australasius'' is an erect, bushy shrub which grows to a height of . It has simple leaves that are narrow oblong in shape, long, long and are covered with tiny star-like hairs when young, although the hairs may only be visible with a magnifying glass. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils, mostly near the ends of the branches, on a stalk long. At the base of each flower are five to twelve

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

-like

bracteoles 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 o ...

. There are five pink to reddish petals which are about long and are covered with similar hairs to those on the leaves, but become smooth with maturity. Flowering occurs in late winter and early spring. Eriostemon australasius habit

Taxonomy and naming

''Eriostemon australasius'' was first formally described in 1805 by Christiaan Persoon and the description was published in ''Synopsis plantarum, seu enchiridium botanicum, complectens enumerationem systematicam specierum''. The specific epithet (''australasius'') is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word ''australis'' meaning "south". The common name is derived from the thick waxy petals.

Distribution and habitat

Pink wax flower grows in

heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

and dry

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as e ...

woodlands from Lake Conjola on the

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 ...

south coast northwards along the coast to

Fraser Island Fraser Island ( Butchulla: ) is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. The island is approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fras ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

Use in horticulture

''Eriostemon australasius'' was first cultivated in England in 1824. It adapts fairly readily to the garden situation, as long as it has good drainage, in dappled shade to full sun. The roots benefit from some shelter. It can be propagated from cuttings or from seed with difficulty and is moderately frost tolerant.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2415950 Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1805 Zanthoxyloideae