Epacris browniae (Ericaceae), a newly-discovered shrub from the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Epacris browniae (Ericaceae) is described from the Blue Mountains, 100 km west of Sydney, New South Wales. Its habitat is dry, rocky, montane heath, scrub and escarpment complex, all on Narrabeen sandstone. It is an erect, woody, virgate shrub with glabrous or almost glabrous branchlets, non-pungent trullate leaves, leaf petioles that separate from a crescentic scar at the junction with the stem, flowers that extend well down the branchlets, opening basipetally, a corolla that is shorter than the sepals and lobes longer than the corolla tube. The flowering period is late October through to early December. The habitat, known geographic distribution and conservation status are considered.