Epacris pulchella

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Family Ericaceae

Taxonomy: Epacris pulchella Cav.

Synonyms: 2 (APC 2026-07-30)

Epacris pulchella Cav. var. pulchella (nomenclatural synonym)
Epacris pulchella var. genuina Hochr. (taxonomic synonym)

Distribution (APC): Qld, NSW

Profiles: APC, Flora of Australia, ALA, iNaturalist, NSW Flora, ATRP

Traits

Top source datasets: Bragg_2002 (1), Clarke_2015 (3), Collette_2021 (1), Falster_2003 (3), Falster_2005_2 (5), Fonseca_2000 (9), Gallagher_2018 (20), Henery_2001 (3), Hughes_1992 (3), Hughes_2005 (5), Kew_2019_1 (1), Kubiak_2009 (8), Leishman_1993 (1), Leishman_1995 (6), McCarthy_2017 (5), Munroe_2019 (1), NHNSW_2014_2 (4), NHNSW_2022 (4), NHNSW_2023 (16), NSWFRD_2014 (9), Pickup_2002 (16), Pickup_2005 (7), Schmidt_1997 (12), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), Westoby_2003 (5), White_2020 (20), Yang_2023 (3). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 71 traits from 178 records in 29 datasets.

Traits by category (click to expand). For categorical traits, the values are listed. For numerical traits, the mean and range are shown.

fire response

resprouting_capacity (categorical): fire_killed (7); resprouts (1) [sources: Clarke_2015; Falster_2005_2; Kubiak_2009; NSWFRD_2014; Schmidt_1997; White_2020; Yang_2023]
post_fire_recruitment (categorical): post_fire_recruitment (1) [sources: Clarke_2015]

flower morphology

flower_colour (categorical): pink (1); white_cream (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]

fruit morphology

fruit_length (numerical): 2 mm (2-2 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
fruit_type (categorical): capsule (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
fruit_dehiscence (categorical): dehiscent (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; Sjostrom_2006]

leaf morphology

leaf_area (numerical): 8.85 mm2 (5-13 mm2) [sources: Bragg_2002; Falster_2003; Falster_2005_2; Fonseca_2000; Gallagher_2018; Leishman_1995; Pickup_2005; Westoby_2003]
leaf_length (numerical): 4.3 mm (2.1-6.5 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
leaf_width (numerical): 3 mm (1.4-4 mm) [sources: Fonseca_2000; NHNSW_2023]
leaf_dry_mass (numerical): 1.06 mg (0.75-1.48 mg) [sources: Fonseca_2000; Gallagher_2018]
petiole_length (numerical): 0.06 cm (0.05-0.08 cm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 101.25 g/m2 (64.52-168.93 g/m2) [sources: Falster_2005_2; Fonseca_2000; Gallagher_2018; Leishman_1995; Pickup_2005; Westoby_2003]
leaf_area_ratio (numerical): 3.16 mm2/mg (3.16-3.16 mm2/mg) [sources: Pickup_2005]
leaf_shape (categorical): ovate (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
leaf_base_shape (categorical): cordate (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
leaf_margin (categorical): toothed (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (2) [sources: Falster_2003; NHNSW_2014_2]
leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): concave (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
leaf_inclination_angle (numerical): 42.9 deg (42.9-42.9 deg) [sources: Falster_2003]
plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]

life history

photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (3) [sources: Munroe_2019; Schmidt_1997; White_2020]
plant_growth_form (categorical): shrub (8) [sources: Fonseca_2000; Hughes_1992; Leishman_1995; NHNSW_2022; NSWFRD_2014; Schmidt_1997; Wenk_2022; White_2020]
life_history (categorical): perennial (2) [sources: NHNSW_2022; Wenk_2023]
woodiness_detailed (categorical): woody (2) [sources: NHNSW_2022; Wenk_2022]
stem_growth_habit (categorical): erect (1) [sources: NHNSW_2022]
leaf_phenology (categorical): evergreen (1) [sources: Schmidt_1997]
nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (2) [sources: Schmidt_1997; White_2020]
root_structure (categorical): ericoid_mycorrhizal (1) [sources: Schmidt_1997]
parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (1) [sources: White_2020]
pollination_syndrome (categorical): insect (1) [sources: White_2020]
dispersal_syndrome (categorical): barochory (1); zoochory (1) [sources: Leishman_1995; White_2020]
dispersers (categorical): invertebrates (1) [sources: White_2020]
flowering_time (categorical): nnyyyynnnnnn (1); yyyyynnnnnnn (3) [sources: Hughes_1992; NHNSW_2014_2; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
seedbank_location (categorical): soil_seedbank (1) [sources: NSWFRD_2014]
seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): persistent (2) [sources: NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
seed_dormancy_class (categorical): physiological_dormancy (1) [sources: Collette_2021]
vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (1) [sources: White_2020]
bud_bank_location (categorical): none (1) [sources: Clarke_2015]

nutrient and stable isotope

leaf_N_per_dry_mass (numerical): 9.04 mg/g (7.89-10.2 mg/g) [sources: Gallagher_2018; Schmidt_1997]
leaf_P_per_dry_mass (numerical): 0.23 mg/g (0.23-0.23 mg/g) [sources: Gallagher_2018]
leaf_delta13C (numerical): -30.25 {delta}[ppth] (-30.93--29.67 {delta}[ppth]) [sources: Schmidt_1997]

seed morphology

seed_dry_mass (numerical): 0.08 mg (0.06-0.1 mg) [sources: Falster_2005_2; Henery_2001; Kew_2019_1; Leishman_1993; Leishman_1995]

stem morphology

wood_density (numerical): 0.63 mg/mm3 (0.49-0.81 mg/mm3) [sources: Hughes_2005; McCarthy_2017; Pickup_2002; Pickup_2005]
huber_value (numerical): 0 mm2{sapwood}/mm2{leaf} (0-0 mm2{sapwood}/mm2{leaf}) [sources: Pickup_2005]
stem_vessel_density (numerical): 588 {count}/mm2 (588-588 {count}/mm2) [sources: Hughes_2005]
stem_vessel_diameter (numerical): 12 um (12-12 um) [sources: Hughes_2005]
stem_vessel_lumen_fraction (numerical): 0.07 mm2/mm2 (0.07-0.07 mm2/mm2) [sources: Hughes_2005]

whole plant morphology

plant_height (numerical): 1.32 m (0.4-2 m) [sources: Hughes_1992; Leishman_1995; NHNSW_2023]
plant_physical_defence_structures (categorical): absent (1) [sources: White_2020]

Sources

dataset_id	n_traits	n_records	reference
Gallagher_2018	5	20	R. Gallagher, A. Phillips, B. Laugier-Kitchener, C. Laws, D. Lanceman, D. M. Londono, E. McFarlane, J. Foster, K. Marais, L. Pollitt, L. Kovac, M. Lambert, S. Amini, T. Boreham, T. Pyne, H. McPherson, M. Rossetto, M. van der Merwe, I. Wright, and and Matthew Alfonzetti. “Unpublished data: Trait campaign with the Royal Botanical Gardens, Macquarie University”. 2018.
White_2020	20	20	M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
NHNSW_2023	12	16	N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Pickup_2002	1	16	M. Pickup. “Unpublished data: Wood density data from Kuring-gai National Park, Macquarie University”. 2002.
Schmidt_1997	10	12	S. Schmidt and G. Stewart. “Waterlogging and fire impacts on nitrogen availability and utilization in a subtropical wet heathland (wallum)”. Plant, Cell and Environment 20.10 (1997), pp. 1231-1241. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-3040.1997.d01-20.x.
Fonseca_2000	5	9	C. R. Fonseca, J. M. Overton, B. Collins, and M. Westoby. “Shifts in trait-combinations along rainfall and phosphorus gradients”. Journal of Ecology 88 (2000), pp. 964-977. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2745.2000.00506.x.
NSWFRD_2014	8	9	B. Kenny, C. Orscheg, E. Tasker, M. A. Gill, and R. Bradstock. NSW Flora Fire Response Database, v2.1. database. NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, 2014.
Kubiak_2009	4	8	P. J. Kubiak. “Fire responses of bushland plants after the January 1994 wildfires in northern Sydney”. Cunninghamia 11.1 (2009), pp. 131-165.
Pickup_2005	5	7	M. Pickup, M. Westoby, and A. Basden. “Dry mass costs of deploying leaf area in relation to leaf size”. Functional Ecology 19.1 (2005), pp. 88-97. doi: 10.1111/j.0269-8463.2005.00927.x.
Leishman_1995	6	6	M. R. Leishman, M. Westoby, and E. Jurado. “Correlates of seed size variation: A comparison among five temperate floras”. Journal of Ecology 83 (1995), pp. 517-529. doi: 10.2307/2261604.
Falster_2005_2	5	5	D. S. Falster and M. Westoby. “Tradeoffs between height growth rate, stem persistence and maximum height among plant species in a post-fire succession”. Oikos 111 (2005), pp. 57-66. doi: 10.1111/j.0030-1299.2005.13383.x.
Hughes_2005	5	5	K. Hughes. “Unpublished data: Wood and stem density data for Australian plant species, Macquarie University”. 2005.
McCarthy_2017	1	5	J. K. McCarthy, J. M. Dwyer, and K. Mokany. “A regional-scale assessment of using metabolic scaling theory to predict ecosystem properties”. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286.1915 (2019), p. 20192221. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2221.
Westoby_2003	5	5	M. Westoby and I. J. Wright. “The leaf size - twig size spectrum and its relationship to other important spectra of variation among species”. Oecologia 135 (2003), pp. 621-628. doi: 10.1007/s00442-003-1231-6.
NHNSW_2014_2	4	4	Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
NHNSW_2022	4	4	N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Sjostrom_2006	4	4	A. Sjöström and C. L. Gross. “Life-history characters and phylogeny are correlated with extinction risk in the Australian angiosperms”. Journal of Biogeography 33.2 (2006), pp. 271-290. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01393.x.
Clarke_2015	3	3	P. J. Clarke, M. J. Lawes, B. P. Murphy, J. Russell-Smith, C. E. Nano, R. Bradstock, N. J. Enright, J. B. Fontaine, C. R. Gosper, I. Radford, J. J. Midgley, and R. M. Gunton. “A synthesis of postfire recovery traits of woody plants in Australian ecosystems”. Science of The Total Environment 534 (2015), pp. 31-42. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.002.
Falster_2003	3	3	D. S. Falster and M. Westoby. “Leaf size and angle vary widely across species: what consequences for light interception?”. New Phytologist 158.3 (2003), pp. 509-525. doi: 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00765.x.
Henery_2001	3	3	M. L. Henery and M. Westoby. “Seed mass and seed nutrient content as predictors of seed output variation between species”. Oikos 92 (2001), pp. 479-490. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0706.2001.920309.x.
Hughes_1992	3	3	L. Hughes and B. Rice. “Unpublished data: Traits data for 643 species, Macquarie University”. 1992.
Yang_2023	3	3	S. Yang. “Unpublished data: Fire response traits scored from national and state floras and the taxonomic literature, University of New South Wales”. 2023.
Wenk_2022	2	2	E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Bragg_2002	1	1	J. G. Bragg and M. Westoby. “Leaf size and foraging for light in a sclerophyll woodland”. Functional Ecology 16 (2002), pp. 633-639. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2435.2002.00661.x.
Collette_2021	1	1	J. C. Collette and M. K. J. Ooi. “Distribution of seed dormancy classes across a fire-prone continent: effects of rainfall seasonality and temperature”. Annals of Botany 127.5 (2021), pp. 613-620. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcaa203.
Kew_2019_1	1	1	Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Leishman_1993	1	1	M. Leishman. “Unpublished data: Seed mass data for Sydney species, Macquarie University”. 1990.
Munroe_2019	1	1	S. E. M. Munroe, F. A. McInerney, J. Andrae, N. Welti, G. R. Guerin, E. Leitch, T. Hall, S. Szarvas, R. Atkins, S. Caddy-Retalic, and B. Sparrow. “The Photosynthetic Pathways of Plant Species Surveyed in Australia's National Terrestrial Monitoring Network”. Scientific Data 8 (2021), p. 97. doi: 10.1038/s41597-021-00877-z.
Wenk_2023	1	1	E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.