Styphelia

Styphelia is a genus of shrubs in the family Ericaceae, native from Indo-China through the Pacific to Australia. Most have minute or small leaves with a sharp tip, single, tube-shaped flowers arranged in leaf axils and with the ends of the petals rolled back with hairs in the inside of the tube.

Description

Plants in the genus Styphelia are usually erect or spreading shrubs that have egg-shaped, elliptical or oblong, more or less sessile leaves with many fine, almost parallel veins and a sharp point on the tip. The flowers are usually arranged singly in leaf axils with small bracts grading to larger bracteoles at the base and five, usually coloured sepals. The petals are fused to form a cylindrical tube with their tips rolled back. The inside of the petal tube is hairy and the five stamens and thread-like style extend beyond the end of the tube. The fruit is a drupe with a dry or slightly fleshy mesocarp and a hard endocarp.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus Styphelia was first formally described in 1793 by James Edward Smith in his book A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland. The name Styphelia is from an ancient Greek word meaning "tough" or "harsh", referring to the "stiff, prickly leaves and general habit" of the genus.

Species list

The following is a list of species of Styphelia accepted by Plants of the World Online as at October 2024:Styphelia abnormis F.Muell. Styphelia abscondita J.J.Sm. Styphelia acervata Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia acuminata Spreng. Styphelia adscendens R.Br. - golden heath Styphelia allittii F.Muell. Styphelia angustiflora Hislop & Puente-Lel. Styphelia angustifolia DC. Styphelia annulata Hislop Styphelia anomala Hislop Styphelia appressa Spreng. Styphelia attenuata F.Muell. – grey beard-heath Styphelia balansae Virot Styphelia biflora Spreng. Styphelia blackallii Hislop Styphelia blakei Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia blepharolepis F.Muell. Styphelia brachygyna Hislop Styphelia bracteolosa Hislop Styphelia brevicuspis F.Muell. Styphelia breviflora F.Muell. Styphelia browniae Hislop Styphelia capillaris Hislop & Puente-Lel. – Horts' styphelia Styphelia carolineae Hislop Styphelia caudata Hislop Styphelia cernua Hislop & Puente-Lel. Styphelia chlorantha Hislop & A.J.G.Wilson Styphelia ciliosa Hislop & Puente-Lel. Styphelia clelandii J.H.Willis – Cleland's bearded-heath Styphelia coelophylla Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia cognata A.R.Bean Styphelia compacta Spreng. Styphelia conchifolia Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia concinna F.Muell. Styphelia conferta F.Muell. – Torrington beard-heath Styphelia conostephioides F.Muell. Styphelia cordifolia F.Muell. – heart-leaved beard-heath Styphelia corynocarpa F.Muell. Styphelia coryphila Sleumer Styphelia crassiflora F.Muell. Styphelia crassifolia F.Muell. Styphelia cuspidata Spreng. Styphelia cymbiformis F.Muell. Styphelia cymbulae Spreng. Styphelia cylindrica Hislop Styphelia dammarifolia F.Muell. Styphelia decussata Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia deformis Spreng. Styphelia densifolia Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia deserticola Hislop Styphelia dielsiana Sleumer Styphelia discolor Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia disjuncta Hislop & Puente-Lel. Styphelia echinulata Hislop Styphelia enervia Sleumer Styphelia epacridis F.Muell. Styphelia erectifolia Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia ericoides Sm. – pink beard-heath Styphelia erubescens F.Muell. Styphelia esquamata Spreng. – swamp beard-heath Styphelia exarata Hislop Styphelia exarrhena F.Muell. - desert styphelia Styphelia exilis Hislop Styphelia exolasia F.Muell. – Woronora beard-heath Styphelia exserta Sleumer Styphelia filamentosa Hislop & Puente-Lel. Styphelia filifolia Hislop & Puente-Lel. Styphelia flavescens F.Muell. Styphelia fletcheri Maiden & Betche Styphelia flexifolia Spreng. Styphelia foliosa Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia forbesii Sleumer Styphelia geniculata Crayn Styphelia glaucifolia Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia globosa Hislop Styphelia grandiflora Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia graniticola Hislop Styphelia hainesii F.Muell. Styphelia hamulosa Sleumer Styphelia hispida Sleumer Styphelia howatharra Hislop Styphelia humifusa Pers. – native cranberry, cranberry heath Styphelia hyalina Hislop Styphelia imbricata Spreng. Styphelia incerta Hislop Styphelia inframediana Hislop Styphelia inopinata Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia insularis Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia intertexta A.S.George Styphelia intricata Hislop Styphelia javanica J.J.Sm. Styphelia kalbarriensis Hislop & E.A.Br. Styphelia kingiana F.Muell. Styphelia laeta R.Br. – five cornersStyphelia lanata Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia lavarackii Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia leptantha F.Muell. Styphelia leptospermoides Spreng. Styphelia lissanthoides F.Muell. Styphelia longifolia R.Br. – long-leaf styphelia Styphelia longissima Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia longistylis Sleumer Styphelia lucens A.R.Bean Styphelia macrocalyx F.Muell. – Swan berry Styphelia macrocarpa Sleumer Styphelia madida Hislop Styphelia malayana J.J.Sm. Styphelia margarodes Spreng. Styphelia marginata Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. – thick-margined leucopogon Styphelia melaleucoides F.Muell. Styphelia microcalyx F.Muell. native cranberry Styphelia microdonta F.Muell. Styphelia mitchellii F.Muell. Styphelia multiflora Spreng. Styphelia mutica F.Muell. – blunt beard-heath Styphelia nana Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia neoanglica F.Muell. – New England beard heath Styphelia nesophila Sleumer – sharp beard-heath, pātōtara, dwarf mingimingi Styphelia nitens Sleumer Styphelia oblongifolia Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia obtecta F.Muell. Styphelia pallens Hislop Styphelia pallida Spreng. – kick bush Styphelia pancheri F.Muell. Styphelia papillosa Hislop Styphelia pendula Spreng. Styphelia pentapogona F.Muell. Styphelia perileuca J.M.Powell - montane green five-corners Styphelia piliflora Crayn Styphelia planiconvexa Hislop Styphelia planifolia Sleumer Styphelia platyneura Hislop Styphelia pogonocalyx F.Muell. Styphelia propinqua Spreng. Styphelia prostrata F.Muell. Styphelia psiloclada J.M.Powell Styphelia psilopus Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia pubescens Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia quartzitica Hislop Styphelia racemulosa F.Muell. Styphelia rectiloba Hislop Styphelia recurva Hislop Styphelia recurvisepala Sleumer Styphelia retrorsa Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia rigida Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia riparia J.H.Willis Styphelia roseola Hislop Styphelia rotundifolia Spreng. Styphelia rufa F.Muell. – spoon-leaf beard-heath, ruddy bearded-heath Styphelia rupicola Sleumer Styphelia ruscifolia Spreng. Styphelia saxicola Hislop Styphelia scabrella Hislop Styphelia serratifolia Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia setigera Spreng. Styphelia sieberi Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. – prickly beard-heath Styphelia sonderensis Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. – Mount Sonder beard-heath Styphelia stomarrhena Sleumer – red swamp cranberry Styphelia striata Spreng. Styphelia strongylophylla F.Muell. Styphelia subglauca Hislop Styphelia subulata Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia sulcata Hislop & Puente-Lel. Styphelia tamminensis Sleumer Styphelia tecta Spreng. Styphelia tenuiflora Lindl. - common pinheath Styphelia tortifolia Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. Styphelia trichostyla Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel. – daphne heath Styphelia triflora Andrews - pink five-corners Styphelia tubiflora Sm. - red five-corners Styphelia undulata Hislop Styphelia veillonii Virot Styphelia viridis Andrews – green five corners Styphelia wetarensis J.J.Sm. Styphelia williamsiorum Hislop & Puente-Lel. Styphelia woodsii F.Muell. – nodding beard-heath Styphelia xerophylla F.Muell. Styphelia yorkensis Hislop, Crayn & Puente-Lel.

Distribution

Species of Styphelia occur in all Australian mainland states, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory. Other species are found northwards to Indo-China.