AusTraits

Leucopogon virgatus

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Ericaceae

Taxonomy: Leucopogon virgatus (Labill.) R.Br.

Synonyms: 2 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Choristemon humilis H.B.Will. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Styphelia virgata Labill. (nomenclatural synonym)

Distribution (APC): SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Vic, Tas

Profiles: APC, Flora of Australia, ALA, iNaturalist, NSW Flora, SA eFlora, Vic Flora, ATRP

Traits

Top source datasets: Cheal_2017 (1), Clarke_2009 (2), Clarke_2015 (3), Collette_2021 (1), Doherty_2021 (2), Draper_2023 (3), Jordan_2001 (7), McCarthy_2017 (5), McGlone_2015 (6), Meers_2007 (11), Mokany_2015 (2), Morgan_2011_1 (5), NHNSW_2014_2 (4), NHNSW_2022 (3), NHNSW_2023 (13), NSWFRD_2014 (8), Purdie_1976 (1), RBGV_2022 (4), RBGV_2023 (12), SAH_2022 (3), SAH_2023 (15), Schmidt_1997 (4), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), Westoby_2014 (15), White_2020 (19), Williams_2011 (10), Yang_2023 (3). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 71 traits from 169 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
flower morphology
  • flower_colour (categorical): white_cream (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (2); monoecious (1) [sources: Jordan_2001; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_length (numerical): 2.3 mm (2.3-2.3 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • fruit_type (categorical): drupe (4) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023; Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): fleshy (2) [sources: Jordan_2001; Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): indehiscent (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 36.89 mm2 (3.2-98.17 mm2) [sources: Meers_2007; Mokany_2015; Westoby_2014]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 15.85 mm (2-25 mm) [sources: McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 3.05 mm (0.9-5 mm) [sources: McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • petiole_length (numerical): 0.1 cm (0.1-0.1 cm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 108.4 g/m2 (100.1-116.7 g/m2) [sources: Meers_2007; Westoby_2014]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): lanceolate (1); linear (1); narrowly_lanceolate (1); ovate (3) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_base_shape (categorical): acute (1) [sources: SAH_2023]
  • leaf_margin (categorical): entire (3); toothed (1); toothed_serrate (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_margin_posture (categorical): involute (1) [sources: SAH_2023]
  • leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (4) [sources: McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): concave (3) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_arrangement (categorical): crowded (1); scattered (1) [sources: SAH_2023]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (3) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; SAH_2023]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (2) [sources: White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): shrub (10) [sources: Clarke_2009; McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2022; NSWFRD_2014; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; Schmidt_1997; Wenk_2022; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • life_form (categorical): chamaephyte (1); phanerophyte (2) [sources: Meers_2007; Morgan_2011_1; Williams_2011]
  • life_history (categorical): perennial (7) [sources: Cheal_2017; Jordan_2001; Morgan_2011_1; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; Wenk_2023]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): woody (4) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; SAH_2022; Wenk_2022]
  • stem_growth_habit (categorical): decumbent (1); erect (1) [sources: RBGV_2022]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (3) [sources: Meers_2007; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • root_structure (categorical): ericoid_mycorrhizal (3) [sources: Meers_2007; Schmidt_1997; Williams_2011]
  • parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (1) [sources: White_2020]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): insect (2) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • pollination_system (categorical): biotic_unspecialised (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): endozoochory (2); myrmecochory (2); undefined (1) [sources: Draper_2023; Meers_2007; Morgan_2011_1; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • dispersers (categorical): birds (1); vertebrates (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnyyyyynn (1); nnnnnyyyyyyy (1); yyyyyyyyyyyy (1) [sources: 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): morphophysiological_dormancy (1) [sources: Collette_2021]
  • vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (3) [sources: Meers_2007; Morgan_2011_1; White_2020]
  • clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): non_clonal (2) [sources: Meers_2007; Williams_2011]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): basal_buds (2); basal_stem_buds (3); underground_buds (1) [sources: Clarke_2009; Clarke_2015; Doherty_2021; NSWFRD_2014; Yang_2023]
seed morphology
  • seed_dry_mass (numerical): 1.34 mg (1.34-1.34 mg) [sources: Meers_2007]
  • seed_length (numerical): 2.25 mm (2.25-2.25 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]
  • seed_width (numerical): 1.72 mm (1.72-1.72 mm) [sources: Jordan_2001]
stem morphology
  • wood_density (numerical): 0.78 mg/mm3 (0.62-0.96 mg/mm3) [sources: McCarthy_2017; Westoby_2014]
whole plant morphology

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
White_20201919M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
SAH_20231215S. H. of South Australia. eFlora of SA, Electronic Flora of South Australia. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/.
Westoby_20141315S. M. Gleason, D. W. Butler, K. Zieminska, P. Waryszak, and M. Westoby. “Stem xylem conductivity is key to plant water balance across Australian angiosperm species”. Functional Ecology 26 (2012), pp. 343-352. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01962.x.
NHNSW_20231013N. 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/.
RBGV_20231012VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Meers_20071111T. Meers. “Role of plant functional traits in determining the response of vegetation to land use change on the Delatite Peninsula, Victoria.”. PhD. University of Melbourne, 2007.
Williams_20111010R. P. Duncan, S. E. Clemants, R. T. Corlett, A. K. Hahs, M. A. McCarthy, M. J. McDonnell, M. W. Schwartz, K. Thompson, P. A. Vesk, and N. S. G. Williams. “Plant traits and extinction in urban areas: a meta-analysis of 11 cities”. Global Ecology and Biogeography 20.4 (2011), pp. 509-519. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00633.x.
NSWFRD_201488B. 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.
Jordan_200177G. J. Jordan. “An investigation of long-distance dispersal based on species native to both Tasmania and New Zealand”. Australian Journal of Botany 49.3 (2001), pp. 333-340. doi: 10.1071/bt00024.
McGlone_201566M. S. McGlone, S. J. Richardson, G. J. Jordan, and G. L. Perry. “Is there a `suboptimal' woody species height? A response to Scheffer et al.”. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 30.1 (2015), pp. 4-5. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.09.007.
McCarthy_201715J. 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.
Morgan_2011_155J. Morgan. “Unpublished data: Grassy woodland traits, La Trobe University”. 2011.
NHNSW_2014_244Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
RBGV_202244VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Schmidt_199744S. 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.
Sjostrom_200644A. 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_201533P. 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.
Draper_202333J. T. Draper, S. Delean, J. G. Conran, P. Weinstein, and B. S. Simpson. “Life-history characteristics and climate correlates of dioecious plant species in central southern Australia”. Australian Journal of Botany unknown.unknown (2023), p. unknown. doi: 10.1071/BT22110.
NHNSW_202233N. 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/.
SAH_202233S. H. of South Australia. eFlora of SA, Electronic Flora of South Australia. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/.
Yang_202333S. Yang. “Unpublished data: Fire response traits scored from national and state floras and the taxonomic literature, University of New South Wales”. 2023.
Clarke_200922P. J. Clarke, K. J. E. Knox, M. L. Campbell, and L. M. Copeland. “Post-fire recovery of woody plants in the New England Tableland Bioregion”. Cunninghamia 11 (2009), pp. 221-239. doi: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/4907.
Doherty_202122M. Doherty. “Fire Severity and Plant Community Dynamics in the Australian Alps, Southeastern New South Wales”. PhD. Australian National University, 2021. url: http://hdl.handle.net/1885/224564.
Mokany_201522K. Mokany, J. J. Thomson, A. J. J. Lynch, G. J. Jordan, and S. Ferrier. “Linking changes in community composition and function under climate change”. Ecological Applications 25.8 (2015), pp. 2132-2141. doi: 10.1890/14-2384.1.
Wenk_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Cheal_201711D. Cheal. Growth stages and tolerable fire intervals for Victoria's native vegetation data sets. Fire and adaptive management, report no. 84. Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, 2010.
Collette_202111J. 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.
Purdie_197611R. W. Purdie and R. O. Slatyer. “Vegetation succession after fire in sclerophyll woodland communities in south-eastern Australia”. Australian Journal of Ecology 1 (1976), pp. 223-236.
Wenk_202311E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.