Astroloma humifusum

Cranberry Heath

Family: Epacridaceae

Astroloma humifusum is a small dense many-branched shrub forming cushion-like mats to 15 cm high. It grows in open forest, on sandstone or shaly soils or heavier clays, often in exposed rocky spots.

The leaves are small and narrow, 5-12mm long, narrow lance-shaped. They are finely toothed and have sharp points.

The flowers are red cigar-shaped tubes about 14mm long with tufts of hair inside and spreading lobes at the top. They are often hidden by the leaves.

The fruit is a greenish drupe which has an edible sweetish pulp and a large relatively stone

Astroloma humifusum flowers in Summer.

The name Astroloma comes from the Greek astron - star, and loma - a fringe, from the tufts of hair inside the floral tube.

Note photos highly magnified