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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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