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Monotoca scoparia
Prickly Broom Heath
Ericaceae
Description:
Twiggy shrub to 2m on well-drained rocky or sandy soils. Leaves alternate, prickly, to 25mm x 5mm, glaucous below. White 4mm flowers, autumn to winter, petals hairless. Yellowish to orange globose fruit to 3mm.
Special Features:
Acts as a vital food source for the endangered Smoky mouse (Pseudomys fumeus) in New South Wales.
The pale yellow and somewhat fleshy fruit was eaten.
Known to be a host for wood-rotting fungi, such as "Tea-tree Fingers" (Hymenochaetopsis), especially in long-unburnt areas.
Natural Habitat:
Seacoast
Tree/Shrub Height:
Twiggy shrub to 2m
Aspect:
Partial Sun/Shade
Soil/Conditions:
Rocky, Sandy, Well-drained
Flower Colour:
White
Monotoca scoparia - Prickly Broom Heath
Gallery
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