Leucopogon rufus

Species of plant

Leucopogon rufus

In the Onkaparinga River National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Eudicots
Clade:  | Asterids
Order:  | Ericales
Family:  | Ericaceae
Genus:  | Leucopogon
Species:  |

L. rufus

Binomial name
Leucopogon rufus

Lindl.[1]

Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms[1]

* Leucopogon astrolomioides Sond. orth. var.
* Leucopogon astrolomoides F.Muell. nom. inval., nom. nud.
* Leucopogon astrolomoides F.Muell. ex Sond.
* Leucopogon dasystylis Sond.
* Styphelia rufa (Lindl.) F.Muell.
* Styphelia rufa (Lindl.) F.Muell. var. rufa

Leucopogon rufus, commonly known as spoon-leaf beard-heath[2] or ruddy bearded-heath,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with erect to spreading, egg-shaped leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers arranged in spikes in two to five leaf axils near the ends of branches.

## Description[edit]

Leucopogon rufus is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 30–60 cm (12–24 in), its young branchlets sometimes covered with fine, soft hairs. The leaves are egg-shaped and erect to spreading, 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide. The leaves are sometimes glabrous, otherwise covered with soft hairs, the lower side a paler shade of green, and there is a sharp bristle on the tip. The flowers are borne in spikes in two to five upper leaf axils, the spikes 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) long, with egg-shaped to almost round bracteoles 1.4–2.0 mm (0.055–0.079 in) long at the base. The sepals are narrowly egg-shaped, 3.1–4.6 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long, the petals white, 5.3–6.6 mm (0.21–0.26 in) long and joined at the base, forming a tube, the lobes shorter than the petal tube. Flowering occurs from November to March, and the fruit is about 6 mm (0.24 in) long.[2][3][4]

## Taxonomy[edit]

Leucopogon rufus was first formally described in 1838 by John Lindley in Thomas Mitchell's journal, Three Expeditions into the interior of Eastern Australia.[5] The specific epithet (rufus) means "reddish".[6]

## Distribution and habitat[edit]

Spoon-leaf beard-heath occurs in scattered populations in northern and north-eastern Victoria, extending into south-eastern South Australia and the far south of New South Wales. In usually grows in heath, but is also found in open forest and mallee scrub.[2][3][4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Leucopogon rufus". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
2. ^ a b c Powell, Jocelyn M.; Walsh, Neville G.; Brown, Elizabeth A. "Styphelia rufa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
3. ^ a b c "Leucopogon rufus". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
4. ^ a b Brown, Elizabeth A. "Leucopogon rufus". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
5. ^ "Leucopogon rufus". APNI. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
6. ^ William T. Stearn (1992). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 485.

Taxon identifiers

Leucopogon rufus|

* Wikidata: Q17241533
* APNI: 67777
* CoL: 726H4
* eFloraSA: Leucopogon_rufus
* GBIF: 4009938
* iNaturalist: 733360
* IPNI: 325459-1
* NSWFlora: Leucopogon~rufus
* Open Tree of Life: 5759613
* POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:325459-1
* VicFlora: ea3fbe19-80a7-4134-8140-82d994de00df
* WFO: wfo-0000359323