Tetratheca stenocarpa, commonly known as Long Pink-bells, is a small shrub in the family Elaeocarpaceae

Elaeocarpaceae

Elaeaocarpaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family approximately contains 605 species of trees and shrubs in 12 genera. The largest genera are Elaeocarpus, with about 350 species, and Sloanea, with about 150....

. It is endemic to Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

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Description

It is a prostrate or weeping small shrub which grows to between 1 and 1.5 metres high and 0.5 to 1 metre wide. The leaves are triangular to rounded with toothed edges. These are 5 to 12 millimetres long and wide and are reduced to scales on flowering stems and are often only seen on young growth. The pale to deep lilac-pink (rarely white) bell-shaped flowers appear between July and January in their native range. These occur in clusters of 1 to 3 on petiole

Petiole (botany)

In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...

s with dense, gland-tipped hairs.

It is similar in appearance to Tetratheca ciliata

Tetratheca ciliata

Tetratheca ciliata, commonly known as Pink-bells, is a small shrub in the family Elaeocarpaceae. It is endemic to southern Australia.It is a small shrub which may grow up tp 100 cm high...

, but the latter has petioles with only a few gland-tipped hairs.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by James Hamlyn Willis in the The Victorian Naturalist in 1957. He discovered the species in 1952 near Gembrook

Gembrook, Victoria

Gembrook is a town in Victoria, Australia, 54 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Cardinia...

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Distribution

The species has a restricted distribution, occurring in damp forests in hilly country to the east of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, on French Island and in a separate population in Gisborne

Gisborne, Victoria

Gisborne is a town located approximately northwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As it is close to Melbourne, but in attractive countryside, it is proving an increasingly popular place to settle. The town was named after Henry Fyshe Gisborne , the first Commissioner for Crown Lands of the...

. The species is classified as rare in Victoria. It adapts well to disturbed sites, and is often found on exposed road cuttings.

Cultivation

The species is free-flowering and is suitable for moist shady positions. It can be situated under established trees or at the top of retaining walls, or used in a cottage garden

Cottage garden

The cottage garden is a distinct style of garden that uses an informal design, traditional materials, dense plantings, and a mixture of ornamental and edible plants. English in origin, the cottage garden depends on grace and charm rather than grandeur and formal structure...

setting.