Pentachondra pumila (J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.) R.Br.

Species

Angiosperms > Ericales > Ericaceae > Pentachondra

Characteristics

Slender much-branched procumbent shrub, forming patches up to c. 4 dm. diam. Branches and branchlets close-set, pubescent or occ. subglab. Lvs crowded on flat petioles c. 0·5 mm. long. Lamina oblong to ovoid-oblong to broad-elliptic, bluntly keeled, concavo-convex to flat (all forms may be present on a single plant), ± 3-5 × 1-2 mm., coriac., ± shining, margins minutely ciliolate. Fls very small, solitary, axillary, near tips of branchlets; bracts and bracteoles obtuse, < calyx; calyx-lobes obtuse, cioliolate, Corolla-tube > calyx, cylindric, lobes short, bearded within, recurved, white to reddish. Fr. ± 5-6 mm. diam., red to orange, globose to subpyriform, style persistent. Pyrenes 5-8-10.
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A very small shrub. It forms mats. It grows 5-15 cm high and spreads 50-150 cm wide. Young growth can be hairy. The branches are long and wiry and often form roots when near the ground. The small branches are rough. The leaves are 0.3-0.6 cm long by 0.2 cm wide. The are oblong and crowded. They are stiff and curved inwards and have a sharp tip. The flowers are like tubes and 0.4 cm long. They are white with spreading lobes. The fruit are about 0.8 cm across. They are almost round and bright red.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support -
Foliage retention evergreen
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.5 - 1.0
Mature height (meter) 0.1
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a temperate plant. It grows above the tree line in subalpine regions. It needs well drained acidic soils. It can tolerate low temperatures and snow. It suits hardiness zones 8-9. Tasmania Herbarium.
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Boggy and peaty ground on heaths, tall alpine herb fields and sod-tussock grassland in the alpine and sub-alpine zones of Australia.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 4-6
Soil texture 3-6
Soil acidity 1-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 8-10

Usage

Uses -
Edible fruits seeds
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from cuttings of soft wood. It can also be grown from layered stems.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Pentachondra pumila unspecified picture

Distribution

Pentachondra pumila world distribution map, present in Australia and New Zealand

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:325577-1
WFO ID wfo-0001046654
COL ID 76MH5
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Pentachondra pumila Pernettya polyphylla