ASSOCIATION OF SOCIETIES FOR GROWING AUSTRALIAN Inc.

EPACRIS STUDY GROUP

Group Leader: Gwen Elliot, P.O. Box 655 Heathmont Vic. 3135

No. 9 (ISSN 103 8-6017) March. 2600

Greetings to all STUDY GROUP members. , Thanks to those who have sent letters since our NewsIetter last spring and in particular to Nevi 1 le Wa lsh of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Dr. Elizabeth Brown ofthe Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and Professor Anne Ashford ofthe Universiiy of New South Wales, who have all assisted with infomation for this issue of our News[etter. It is really great that Australian botanists are so willing to assist study Groups such as ours, and in return we can only hope that our research and sharing of information will contribute to the accumulated knowledge of our Aush-atian native plants.

Our Oct. 1999 Newsletter included an article by study group member, Jeff Irons oF England on 'Growing Ericacecxe and Epacridaceae plants from seed'. This created considerable interest among readem, and we have also had a request from another study group leader who has heard about the article but not seen it, and would like to have a copy. Now we say thanks once again toJefffor a second article on 'Vegetative Propagation' which appears in this issue. The tips and techniques used by ~effare of- course not just applicable to Epacris and you may like to try them with other plants as well.

In view of the coverage of the Epacridaceae family in this issue it has been decided to hold over our regular Epacris praFiles until September, when we will have two pages d species prdtles, By then we plan to be able to use colour slides or photos and computer scanning to facilitate the inclusion ofa colour photograph in each Epacris Species Profile.

Another topic Iam still hoping to be able to include in hture issues relates to mycorrhizal fungi associations in regard tothe successful root development of Epacris plants. Any information from members on this topic would be very welcome, either from a scientiftc point d view, or from your obsewations as a grower, regarding the situations in which plants seem .to do best and whether there is a difference when young plants are placed near healthy, already established Epacridaceae plants. How do container-grown plants compare with Epacris in the garden? Maybe you feel there are some myths as well as facts associated with the importance of mycorrhixal associations.

Membership ofthe Epacris Study Group becomes due inJune of each year, so before you file away this Newsletter why not send &your subscription ofjust $5.OQ for the coming year. Ifyou would like to put pen to paper, with an item for our Newsletter in September, or send in a photu or illustration, your contribution will be very much appreciated. Even a brief note saying what you would like to see induded in our future Newsletters will be very welcome. rfi PAGE 2

JOHN EMMS of South Gippsland Victoria has written enquiring as to whether there is a simple way to distinguish from E. microphylla var. microphylla. The3e two species are very closely related, with E. gunnii being previously included in E microphylla as E. microphylla var gunnii. The major distinguishing features are in the foliage, with E. gunnii having leaves to 7 rnm long, with a sharply pointed acuminate tip, while those of Et microphylla are only about half that size with a blunt leaf tip, incuwed towards the stem a tittte. The illustration of E. microphylla which appears in the Flora of New South Wales, Volume 3, possibly relates to the former variety which has now been placed in E. gunnii. Illustrations of both species can be found in The Flora of Victoria, Volume 3. John also asks - "Could any of our group members suggest how to get the best out of . Of the 12 species that I currently grow in terracotta pots E. obtusifolia I find the most unresponsive (or perhaps pathetic is a better description)! My current potting mix is 50150 potting mix (Australian standard commercial mix) and sharp sand. Well there's a challenge members. We should be able to come up with some ideas to elevate Epacris obtusifolia +om its current 'pathetic' performance for John. Are you growing Epacris obtcrsifalia. If so, have you some suggestions for John and other members. We'd love to hear them.

JENNIE LAWRENCE from Burnie, writes that 'Heavy winds and hot tempevahrres have caused the loss of several shrubs. Especially the Trochocaqm, Richea and other high area plants have had a struggle. But I am still propagating and will fill in the gaps with less sensitive species'. This is undoubtedly something many of us experience in the garden. The recent summer has been particularly challenging in the garden, but for those who put in cuttings and sow seed the loss of one can prwide an opportunitp to replant with another. If you haven't tried propagating your own plants why not give it a go. It's a lot of fun, and certainly an economical way to establish your own garden and share surplus plants with friends.

.*fi,o.':. #W,L .,_.'.I Robert I$F~w~,D.C.L. (Hon.) LL.D (Hon.), F.L.S, F.R.S. 1' A ,*7-5 (1773 - 1858) In considering the family of Epacridaceae in this News~~er,, it seemed appropriate to set aside some space to look at the botanist responsible for the naming of this family. Robert Brown was born in Montrose, Scotland on 21st December, 1773. He studied medicine and became a surgeon in the army in 1795. Tn 1798 he visited London where his enthusiasm and ability in the area of natural history led to SirJoseph Banks offering him the position of naturalist to Matthew Flinders coastal survey of on The Investigator. They arrived in in 1801 where Robert Brown became involved in intensive botanical studies, collecting almost 4000 plant specimens of which more than half were new to science. ~linderslee for the return journey to England in 2803, but Brown and his d~paughtsman, Ferdinand Bauer, stayed in Aush-alia. They travelled .to eastern Australia including Tasmania, where Brown collected many more plant specimens before returning to England in 1805. Robert Brown became librarian to Banks and on the death of Banks in 1820 he inherited his herbarium and library. In I827 he became the first Keeper of the Botanical Department of the ~ritish Museum. He was the first to note that, in general, living cells contain a nucleus, and to name it. Robert Brown was undoubtedly one of the great botanists of his time. The Australian of Brunoniu was named after Robert Brown, and a very large number of species in other genera commemorate his life and work.

The above photograph is from the National Library of Australia - Pictorial collection, as reproduced in BOTANISTS OF THE EUCALYPTS by Norman Hall. Pub. CSIRO 1978. Vegetative Bropagatf on By Jeff Irons, Wirral, England.

Iwonder whether gardening has a patron saint? If it does not, then St. Augustine must be one ofthe more favoured contenders for the title. Altkrough known best as a persecuting bishop, he did have softer and more humane moments. In one of: them he wrote "Is there any more wonderful sigh$ any moment when man's reason is nearer to some sort of contact with the nature of the world than the sowing of seeds and the planting of cuttings? It is as ifyou could question the vital force in each root or bud on what. it can do, what it cannot and why." Them can be veyfew gardeners of long standing who do not follow St. Augustine and plant their own cuttings, We tend to think that years of- e~perienceequates toquantity and quality of knowledge. That this is not so was brought home to me recently when an amateur gardener of my aquaintance commented that she always plan+t;edher c&ings as deeply as possible. My response caused her some surprize. 1 said that cuttings should nwer be stuck in deeper than 1 cm, and that sowe plants needed ta be stuck so shallowly that the cutting had to be supported! Quite phinly, the principles afvegetative propagation are not at all well understood. In England (at least) the media personalities are to blame. They tell and show what to do, but never say why. Here Iwant to say why, and give a little of the what. The latter relates to my conditions and Irealise that many Australians live in areas where sophisticated materials are not readily available. They should find it relatively easy to adapt things totheir own conditions, using what is available. Any piece removed from a plant is immediately put under stress, and to minimize that stress we need to make the strain as small as possible. In other words we apply the Hookeys Law learnt in schoolday science to our horticulture. In practice this means doing werything possibte to keep a cutting turgid. If it is not going t~ be struck immediately the cutting should be placed in a plastic bag, together with a fw drops of water. When the cutting is put into the cutting medium it should be kept: in as constant a temperature as possibte. The reason is that when the temperature rises the cutting's leaves transpire. The lost water has to be replaced, and doing that puts a strain on the cutting. Winter is a good time totake cuttings, because it is easy to keep the Zernperature, and hence humidity in the pn~pagatorf-airly steady. ~fa cutting can be kept turgid then the time of year at which it was taken does not matter, for at some time during a 12 month period conditions must be suitable for rootingto take place. The literature abounds with recipes for cutting mixes. The fact that there are so many is a good indication that the actual ingredients and compositil~nare not very important! In Britain one still heals people advising you to use clay pots for cuttings and to put them round the edge of the pot A que*ian asking "why?" might elicit the answer "Because it workS". That isn't vety satisfactoy, and the thin king gardener will reason further. Clay pcrts are porous and water will diffuse from the body of the compost through the walls of the pot. So, close tothe pot wall the compost: is fairly dry, and it is under those conditions that the cutting roots, Eureka! We have the answer. What we need is a fairly open medium, so that the soiI atmosphere is as similar as possible tothe air. rhe portion of the stem in the medium must have an adequate supply of oxygen. It is necessay for respiration and root initiation. The very wet, water retentive composts often used lead to waterlogging of the underground portion of the cutting. Fungal infection follows and the base of the cutting rots. The more deeply the cutting has been inserted the more likely it is that inadequate aeration will result in the cutting rotting, All reactions proceed more quickly at higher temperatures (schoolboy science again), so the higher the temperature the more likely it is that the cutting wilt1 rot An acid medium around pH 4.5 - 5.5 is usually preferable, but for a few species liming is required because the roots will not grow in the usuai acid medium. An alternative technique, which Ihave used succesdully, is to include Vermiculite in the cutting mix. ~ermiculiteis alkaline whereas Perlite is acid. Page 4. Vegetative Propagation By Jeff Irons continued

In order for a cutting to make roots it must use energy. That energy is obtained from light by the leaves. So we need to retain as many leaves as possible on the cutting. Moreover every time a leaf is rernwed a wound is made, and infection can enter through the wound. Since the young leaves on the softwood of our cuttings contain very little food, in theoty the more tight they are given the better they can photosynthesize the substances needed to make roots grow. However with high light levels the temperature rises and humidify falls. The cuttings wilt, 'the stomata close and photosynthesis ceases. So in pradice a relatively tow light level is best. Ideally it should be the maximum which can be given without inducing wilting. It is tempting to take nice thick material for cuttings, but experiments have shown that the thinnest cuttings root more readiiy. Often they are the thin, spindly growth at the base of a plant. A little thought will indicate that such cuttings have less stem in proportion to the lea-f:area. Consequevrtly less food is required to maintain respiration in the stem, and a greater proportion is available for plant growth. However thin cuttings rot more easily, so thy need to be inserted shallowly. All should be inserted only as far as is necessary for them to stay upright. Usua Ily we take cuttings with the cut just below a node. At such spots the plant is growing vigorously, there are pleny of growth chemicals (auxins) because they are needed for production ofthe new shoots. By cutting df at that point we ensure that the base of the cutting is at .the spot most .Favourable for root: production. Most amateurs use a simple propagator and with them it is not very important to pot on cuttings as soon as they have rooted. Mist units tend to leach materials from the leaves, so rooted cuttings should be potted on as soon as they can be handled. In general a nutrient poor potting ;mix is desirable. I use the same one that was used to strike the cuttings. Once again that schoolday science explains why. In a nutrient rich potting compost there will be a high osmotic pressure, and the poorly developed roots will be less able to absorb moisture, and so find it dificult to supply the young plant with enough water. Starting with a nutrient poor potting compost helps the young plant to absorb water. It is very important not: to pot the rooted cutting too deeply. The uppermost roc& should be just below soil level. If necessary the cutting should be supported with a small stick. It is vety diF1m1tto make the rooted cutting self supporting, but doing so by deep planting is one of the commonest causes of failure at potting on. A new development which both improves the %akeJof cuttings and avoids problems when potting on is the rock wool plug. Rock wool plugs ensure good aeration and even 'dificult' plants root well in them. Once routed, cuttings can be potted without root disturbance and by putting the top of the ptug at soil level the correct depth is ensured. Equipment has not been mentioned in these notes. If attention is given to the points made even the simplest equipment will sfl~ce,Good results are possible with nothing more elaborate than a flower pot and a cover made from a PFT bottle with the base cut off.

Jeff Irons......

Sincere thanks to Jeff for such a detailed and comprehensive article. Now I'm sure there are several members who strike their own Epacris plants from cuttings. Our last Newsletter carried a Special Profile Topic page on PROPAGAITON OF EPACRIS FROM CUTITNGS, and now with Jeff s article there must be numerous points with which you either agree, or possibly disagree. How about letting is all know ofyour own experiences. What works for you, and what does not 7 We have yet to consider the aspect of transportation of plant material which is to be used for propagation. Which methods do you find to be the best? Have you sent or received material by post? How were the cuttings packed? How did they travel ? Are there books or other references on vegetative propagation that you have found to be particularly helpful? We look forward to hearing from you. Page 5 Special PROFILE TOPIC

Epacridaceae R. Br.

Many members will be aware of the proposal to include the family of Epacridaceae within the larger family of . Recent botanical studies strongly support the re-classification of Epacridaceae as a distinct subfamily within Ericaceae and that to keep Epacridaceae as a separate family would involve the breaking up of Ericaceae into quite a number of other small families. This would then have the effect of obscuring the obvious aff~nitiesall of these plant groups have. When completed the Epacridaceae will become a subfamily - Epacridoideae in the family of Ericaceae.

We will start here with looking at the Epacridaceae family, as we have known it for many years. Epacridaceae was named by the botanist, Robert Brown. It is primarily Australian but extends northwards through Malesia to Indo-China. It also extends eastwards to New Zealand, and the Pacific islands plus one genus in South America. There are over 450 species in about 34 genera.

The leaves are usually alternate or spirally arranged and sometimes sheathing around the stems. They are often stiff and can have a sharply pointed tip. The veins are usually parallel or nearly so, often resembling the venation of monocotyledons. The flowers are usually tubular with 4 or 5 spreading lobes. There are usually as many as corolla lobes but plants may be dioecious and then the female flowers have only rudimentary stamens. The are entirely free and the anthers, which lack appendages, open by a longitudinal slit.

Prior to current revision Epacridaceae had two subfamilies, Epacridoideae and Richeoideae. The smaller ofthe 2 subfamilies was Richeoideae, containing the 3 genera of Dracophyllum, Richea and Sphenotoma. These plants have sheathing leaves and are readily distinguished by having stems ringed with annular leaf scars.

The subfamily of Epacridoideae divided into the five different tribes - Cosmelieae, Epacrideae, Needhamielleae, Oligarrheneae and Styphelieae. Needhamielleae and Oligarrheneae each representedjust a single species, native to south- western Western Australia. Cosmelieae had three genera, with sheathing leaves around the stems, but unlike the subfamily of Richeoideae the stems do not have annular leaf scars. The largest tribe, Styphelieae has leaves which are not sheathing around the stems. Another distinguishing feature is that the flowers have only 2 and there is one ovule in each ovary chamber. The fruit is a drupe which does not dry and split to release the seed when ripe. The tribe of Epacrideae including the genus of Epacris, with which our Study Group is primarily concerned has flowers with multiple bracts. There are several ovules per ovary chamber and the fruit is a which splits when ripe to release the seeds.

Current research has now eliminated the 2 former subfamilies of Epacridoideae and Richeo i de a e and re-classified Epacridaceae into 7 tribes. Tribe- Genera Archeriaea Archeria Cosmelieae Andersonia, Cosmelia, Epacrideae , Epacris, Lysinema, , Oligarrheneae Needhamiella, Oligarrhena Prionoteae Lebetanthus, Richeeae Dracophyllum, Richea, Sphenotoma Styphelieae Acrotriche, Astroloma, Brachyloma, , Leucopogon, Melichrus, Monotoca, Pentachondra, Styphelia and Trochocarpa. Other genera which are expected to be included in Styphelieae are - Androstoma, Coleanthera, Conostephium, Croninia, Cyathopsis, Decatoca Lissanthe and Planocarpa The following chart lists the FAMILY of EPACRIDACEAE prior to its re-classification into 7 tribes and is included here as it may help members as the see it alongside the new family (or subfamily) structure. (Figures in brackets indicate appro~imatenumber of species in each genus) Epacridaceae

Stems ringed with annular leaf scars

Dracophyllum Qld, NSW, Tas, (4) I Andersonia flower. Richea NSW, Vic, Tas (11) Sphenotoma. WA (6) Epacridoideae Stems without annular leaf scars 1 I Cosmelieae ~eedhahielleae Leaves sheathing but Leaves not sheathing stems without scars Flowers with 5 lobes 5 sepals, 5 stamens Andersonia WA (22) in short terminal spikes. Cosmelia WA (1) 1species Sprengelia (4) Needhamiella pumilio Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas, SA WA Epacrideae Oligarrheneae Leaves not sheathing. Flowers with multiple Leaves not sheathing bracts and several ovules per ovary chamber. Flowers with 4 lobes The fruit is a capsule which splits when ripe. 4 sepals, 2 stamens Archeria Tas, NZ (4) in compound raceme Budawangia NSW (1) 1species Epacris Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas, SA (35) Oligarrhena micrantha Lysinema WA (5) WA Prionotes Tas (1) Rupicola NSW (3) Woollsia Qld, NSW (1) Lebetanthus has one species - in Sth.America. It is not represented in Australia Bracts Styphelieae Leaves not sheathing. Flowers with 2 bracts and one ovule in each ovary chamber. The fruit is a drupe which does not dry and Lobes, bearded split to release the seed when ripe.

Stamens, exserted Acrotriche Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas, SA, WA (14) Astroloma NSW, Vic, Tas, SA, WA (19) Styphelia flower. Acrotriche flower. Brachyloma Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas, SA, WA (7) ~hori-stemon Wc (1) Coleanthera, WA (3) Conostephium WA (7) Cronin ia WA (1) Cyathodes Vic, Tas, NZ., NG, Pacific, (5) Lobes, usually New Caledonia (1) glabrous Lobes, bearded Cyathopsis Decatoca NG (1) Cabx Corolla tube SA, Vic, Tas, NZ, NG, Pacific (13) Leucopogon All states. Malaysia to NZ (155) Brachyloma flower. Calyx Lissanthe Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas, SA, WA (6) Bnct Melichrus NSW, Vic, Tas, SA (4) L~UCO~O~O~flower. Monotoca Qld, NSW, Vic, Tas, SA, WA (11) Pentachondra NSW, Vic, Tas, NZ (3) Sfyphelia NSW, Vic, Tas, SA, WA (121 Trochocarpa Qld, NSW, Vic, ?Tas, Malesia (2) Page 7

The following shows the re-classification of Epacridaceae into 7 separate tribes.

Key to the Tribes (From the Australian Journal ofBotany Vol46, 1998) 1 Fruit a loculicidal capsule 2 Fruit a drupe 6 2 kaf bases broadly sheathing 3 Leaf bases not sheathing (but lamina may be stem-clasping) 4 3 Leaf scars annular Richeae teaf scars absent, stems smooth Cosmelieae 4 Leaf margins serrate or ssrrulate, anthers dehiscing by 2 slits Prionoteae Leaf margins entire, anthers dehlscing by a single slit 5 5 Flowem pedicit late aabwe upper bra& Archerieae Flowers not pediciltaie above upper bracts Epacrideae 6 Ovaty 2-!ocular, corotla glabrous inside Oligawheneae Ovary 1-10locutar, corolla hairy inside Styphelieae

Epacrf daceaeI / (EgacrSdoideae) I Prionoteae Archerieae Epacrideae Fruit a capsule Fruit a capsule Fruit a capsule

Leaf bases not sheathing , Leaf bases not sheathing Leaf bases not sheathing Margins serrate or serrulate Margins entire Margins entire

Lebetanthus Flowers stalked above Flowers not stalked above ' Prionotes upper bracts upper bracts Archeria Budawangia Epacris Rupicola 1, Lysinerna Woollsia Richeae Cosmelieae Fruit a capsule.. Fruit a capsule. Leaves sheathing. Leaves sheathing. Leaf scars annular Leaf scars absent. Dracophyllum Andersonia Richea Cosmelia Sphenotoma Sprengelia

I Oligarrheneae Styphelieae Fruit drupe Fruit a drupe. Corolla glabrous inside. Corolla hairy inside Needhamiella Acrotriche Melichrus Lobes and sepak, Oligarrhena Asfroloma Monotoca starry Brachyloma Pentachondra ~~athodes Sfyphelia SprengeNa flowers, from above (left) and Leucopogon Trochocarpa side view (right). Plus additional genera to be included.

By comparing the two charts included here it can be seen that Needharniel/aae no longer has classification as a tribe, and the genus Needhamiella is now included in the tribe Oligawheneae. Choristemon, with one single species, previously in the tribe Styphetieae, is no longer considered a separate genus, but a freakish development of Leucopogorr virgatus. In regard to the Epacrideae tribe, Arcket-ia has been elevated to a separate tribe, while PPianotes and Lebetanthus have been transferred to the new tribe of Prionoteae. The tribe of SSphelieae is the subject of ongoing research, as it is thought the generic arrangement within this tribe is not yet fully resolved. Leucopogon, with about 155 species, is the largest genus within this tribe and poses several questions for the botanists. Page 8 The tribe = Epacrldeae

The Epacridaceae tribe of Epacrideae now contains the following genera - Budawangia Epacris ! Lobes, twisted Lysinema Rupicola Woollsia t I ! Some of the distinguishing features bet6een these genera are - I I Bracts Epacris - Filaments short and attached to throat of corolla, anthers attached to filament above the middle Budawangia Filaments longer than anthers, attached to throat of ' Woollsia flower. corolla; anthers fused to upper part of filament Rupicola - Filaments long and attached at base of corolla; anthers touching but not fused around the style Lysinema - Corolla twisted when in bud, separating into Woo[lsia - Corolla twisted when in bud, tube not splitting.

The genera of Epacris, Budawangia and Rupicola are very closely related. Further research will be undertaken with the possible re-classification of some of these species.

iissanthe Svphelia Lysinema Woollsia montana tubiflora fimbriatum pungens

Photographs O W.R.Elliot, D.L. Jones and T.L. Blake.

Acknowledgements: Sincere thanks to Neville Walsh ofthe Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Dr. Elizabeth Brown ofthe Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney and Professor Anne Ashford ofthe University of New South Wales for assistance with this presentation on the Epacridaceae family. Thanks also to Trevor Blake, Rodger Elliot and David Jones for use of photographs. Line drawings are from Austra/ian Plants Identified by G. Elliot, (1990) Hyland House. Additional reference material was obtained from - The Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants, Vols. 2 to 8, Elliot %Jones, (1984) Lothian Flora of New South Wales, Vol. 3, Ed. Harden, (1992) NSW University Press Flora ofVictoria, Vol 3, Ed. walsh & Entwisle, (1996) Inkata Press. Flowering Plants in Australia, Ed. Morley Er Toelken (1983) Rigby Epacris teaser !

There are 4 garden gnomes, each wearing an Epacris flower cap. Two ofthe flowers are white and two are red. Gnome A is separated from B, C and D by a solid brick wall. The one who knows the colour of his flower cap must say so. One gnome is able to work out the colour ofthe cap he is wearing. Is it A, B, C or D 7 Answer in next Newsletter. Send inyour membership now so you won't miss out !!! Epacris Study Group - Membership Individual membership &The Epacris Study Group and other Study Groups of the Australian Plant Society [ Society for Growing Australian Plants is available only to members of the A.P.S. [ S.G.A.P. Membership of any Australian state group, not necessarily that of the area in which you reside, entitles you to membership of one or more study groups. A.P.s.[s.G.A.P. members, households or regional groups can belong to the Epacris Study Group for $5.00 per year (Overseas $10 Aust.) renewable in June[July each year Membership is also available to Libraries and Research Institutions with an interest in the genus Epacris.

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