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
Aspect:
Partial Sun/Shade
Soil/Conditions:
Rocky, Sandy, Well-drained
Tree/Shrub Height:
Twiggy shrub to 2m
Attracts:
Bees, Butterflies, Insects, Fauna
Flower Colour:
White, Cream
Monotoca scoparia - Prickly Broom Heath
Gallery
Regional ecosystem:
12.5.9, 12.2.5, 12.2.6, 12.2.7, 12.2.8, 12.2.9, 12.2.10, 12.2.12, 12.3.13, 12.5.3, 12.5.4, 12.5.10, 12.5.11, 12.9-10.2, 12.9-11.4, 12.9-10.14, 12.9-10.19, 12.9-10.23, 12.11.23, 12.11.3a, 12.11.5j, 12.11.5k, 12.12.4, 12.3.14
