Gumnuts - What's Happening to the Australian Heaths?

What's Happening to the Australian Heaths?

10 July 2009 4:03 PM

Well, nothing as far as the heaths themselves are concerned...... but moves are afoot to change their classification.


*Epacris longiflora*

While it has always been recognised that the Australian heaths are closely related to the widely distributed Erica family (the Ericaceae), to date they have been classified as a separate family - the Epacridaceae, which takes its name from the well known genus Epacris. Recent research indicates that the Epacridaceae may be more closely related to the Ericaceae than previously thought, and it is likely that the Australian family will be subsumed into the Ericaceae as subfamily Styphelioideae.

The Ericaceae is widely distributed in the northern Hemisphere and Africa and includes such well known garden plants as Erica, Rhododendron, Azalea and Pieris. Prior to this recent research the Ericaceae was regarded as being poorly represented in Australia.

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, has already implemented this re-classification and it is understood that the Western Australian herbarium is in the process of doing the same. Currenly the other states and the Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra do not appear to have adopted the reclassification (or, at least they are still using "Epcridaceae' on their websites.

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