Species of flowering plant
Trochocarpa cunninghamii is a flowering plant species of the family Ericaceae and is endemic to Tasmania. It is commonly referred to as straggling purpleberry due to its round flattened mauve drupe fruits.[3] It is a woody shrub usually found in the understorey of rainforests and subalpine forests in the Central Plateau and western Tasmania.
Description
Trochocarpa cunninghamii is a low, scrambling prostrate shrub with reddish new growth.[3] Its leaves are at alternate at right angles to the stem, 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long, with 5-7 veins visible from the underside of the leaf, the lower surface, with a lighter shade of green.[3][4] In summer, pink and white tubular flowers are borne in dangling spikes near the end of branches.[3] The purplish blue-black fruit is present year-round and is described as round flattened mauve drupes about 10 mm (0.39 in) in diameter.[3][5]
The foliage of this species can be mistaken for T. gunnii as it has a similar appearance,[4] but T. cunninghamii can be easily distinguished from T. gunnii by its growth habit. T. gunnii is an erect, dense to open shrub to small tree 3–6 m (10–20 ft) high and 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) wide, whereas T. cunninghamii has a low scrambling habit, 0.2–1.5 m (8 in – 4 ft 11 in) high and 0.5–2 m (1 ft 8 in – 6 ft 7 in) wide.[3][5]
Taxonomy
This species was first formally described in 1839 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, who gave it the name Decaspora cunninghami in his Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis,[6][7] and in 1963 was transferred to the genus, Trochocarpa as T. cunninghamii by Winifred Curtis.[8][9] The specific epithet (cunninghamii) honours English botanist Allan Cunningham, who circumnavigated Australia between 1816 and 1839 to collect plants.[10]
Distribution and habitat
Trochocarpa cunninghamii is found only in subalpine forests and rainforest in Tasmania.[2][3] It is more commonly found at high altitudes than T. gunnii.[4] Trochocarpa disticha also closely resembles T. cunninghamii, however T. disticha is a large shrub with larger leaves, restricted to far southeast Tasmania and regarded as uncommon.[4]
Ecology
The hairy-covered, red petal tube of T. cunninghamii may exclude insect access, but is attractive to birds.[11]
References
