Astroloma humifusum
Encyclopedia
Astroloma humifusum, commonly known as the native cranberry or Cranberry Heath, is a small prostrate shrub or groundcover in the heath family Ericaceae
endemic to eastern Australia
.
Astroloma humifusum was initially described as Ventenatia humifusa by Cavanilles in 1797, before being given its current binomial name by prolific Scottish botanist Robert Brown
in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. Common names include cranberry heath and native cranberry, as the fruit were eaten by early settlers. An old name is juniper-leaved astroloma.
Astroloma humifusum grows as a spreading mat-like shrub up to 50 cm (20 in) high and 0.5 to 1.5 m (20 in to 5 ft) across. Its hairy stems bear blue-green pine-like acute leaves 0.5-1.2 cm (0.2-0.5 in) long. The tubular flowers are up to 2 cm (0.8 in) long and appear from February to June, and are all red, unlike the red and green flowers of A. pinifolium
. Flowers are followed by green globular berries around 0.4-0.6 cm (0.2 in) in diameter, which become reddish as they ripen.
The range is in southeastern Australia, from Newcastle in the north in eastern and central New South Wales, into Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and Tasmania. It is generally found in open woodland, both on sandstone and clay soils, as well as upland bogs. Associated plant species include Eucalyptus fibrosa
, Eucalyptus sideroxylon
, and Kunzea ambigua
.
The Eastern Bettong
(Bettongia gaimardi) eats the fruit.
Requiring good drainage in the garden, it can be grown in rockeries. The juicy berries are edible, although they are mostly made up of a large seed. They can be used to make jams or preserves. The flavour of the berries has been described as "sickly sweet".
Ericaceae
The Ericaceae, commonly known as the heath or heather family, is a group of mostly calcifuge flowering plants. The family is large, with roughly 4000 species spread across 126 genera, making it the 14th most speciose family of flowering plants...
endemic to eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Astroloma humifusum was initially described as Ventenatia humifusa by Cavanilles in 1797, before being given its current binomial name by prolific Scottish botanist Robert Brown
Robert Brown (botanist)
Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
in his 1810 work Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae. Common names include cranberry heath and native cranberry, as the fruit were eaten by early settlers. An old name is juniper-leaved astroloma.
Astroloma humifusum grows as a spreading mat-like shrub up to 50 cm (20 in) high and 0.5 to 1.5 m (20 in to 5 ft) across. Its hairy stems bear blue-green pine-like acute leaves 0.5-1.2 cm (0.2-0.5 in) long. The tubular flowers are up to 2 cm (0.8 in) long and appear from February to June, and are all red, unlike the red and green flowers of A. pinifolium
Astroloma pinifolium
Astroloma pinifolium, commonly known as Pine Heath, is small prostrate shrub or groundcover in the family Ericaceae endemic to eastern Australia.-Taxonomy:...
. Flowers are followed by green globular berries around 0.4-0.6 cm (0.2 in) in diameter, which become reddish as they ripen.
The range is in southeastern Australia, from Newcastle in the north in eastern and central New South Wales, into Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and Tasmania. It is generally found in open woodland, both on sandstone and clay soils, as well as upland bogs. Associated plant species include Eucalyptus fibrosa
Eucalyptus fibrosa
Eucalyptus fibrosa, commonly known as the Red Ironbark or Broad-leaved Red Ironbark, is a type of Ironbark tree found in eastern Australia, mainly in Queensland and New South Wales. This plant is in family Myrtaceae....
, Eucalyptus sideroxylon
Eucalyptus sideroxylon
Eucalyptus sideroxylon, or Mugga, Red Ironbark or Mugga Ironbark, is a small to medium-sized or occasionally tall tree. The bark is persistent on the trunk and large branches, hard and deeply furrowed, dark grey to black, with upper limbs smooth and whitish.Adult leaves are stalked, lanceolate to...
, and Kunzea ambigua
Kunzea ambigua
Kunzea ambigua, commonly known as the White Kunzea, Poverty Bush or Tick Bush, is a common shrub of the myrtaceae family found on sandstone soils in eastern Australia. Growing up to high and wide, it bears small white flowers in spring. Used in native gardening, it attracts native insects...
.
The Eastern Bettong
Eastern Bettong
The Eastern Bettong , also known as the Southern Bettong and Tasmanian Bettong, is a bettong whose natural range includes south-eastern Australia and the eastern part of Tasmania. Following the introduction of the red fox, it became extinct on mainland Australia around 1890.- Diet and Behaviour...
(Bettongia gaimardi) eats the fruit.
Requiring good drainage in the garden, it can be grown in rockeries. The juicy berries are edible, although they are mostly made up of a large seed. They can be used to make jams or preserves. The flavour of the berries has been described as "sickly sweet".