AusTraits

Melichrus urceolatus

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Ericaceae

Taxonomy: Melichrus urceolatus R.Br.

Synonyms: 2 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Melichrus medius A.Cunn. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Styphelia urceolata (R.Br.) F.Muell. (nomenclatural synonym)

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

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

Traits

Top source datasets: ANBG_2019 (7), Burrows_2001 (20), Cheal_2017 (2), Clarke_2009 (3), Clarke_2015 (3), Collette_2021 (1), Doherty_2021 (2), Draper_2023 (3), Kew_2019_5 (1), McCarthy_2017 (15), McGlone_2015 (6), Meers_2007 (11), Mokany_2008 (43), NHNSW_2014_2 (4), NHNSW_2022 (4), NHNSW_2023 (15), NSWFRD_2014 (9), Pickup_2021 (15), Purdie_1976 (2), RBGV_2022 (4), RBGV_2023 (12), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), White_2020 (54), Yang_2023 (3), eFLOWER_Dun_2022 (18). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 87 traits from 264 records in 27 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 (1); partial_resprouting (3); resprouts (6) [sources: Clarke_2015; Doherty_2021; Meers_2007; NSWFRD_2014; Pickup_2021; Purdie_1976; Yang_2023]
  • post_fire_recruitment (categorical): post_fire_recruitment (4); post_fire_recruitment_absent (2) [sources: Clarke_2015; NSWFRD_2014; Pickup_2021; Yang_2023]
flower morphology
  • flower_colour (categorical): blue_purple (1); green (2); red_brown (1); white_cream (2); yellow_orange (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; eFLOWER_Dun_2022]
  • sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_length (numerical): 4 mm (4-4 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • fruit_type (categorical): drupe (3) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): fleshy (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): indehiscent (1) [sources: Sjostrom_2006]
  • fruit_colour (categorical): brown (1); green (1); purple (1); white (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 29.37 mm2 (22.1-35.87 mm2) [sources: Burrows_2001; McCarthy_2017; Meers_2007; Mokany_2008]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 17.96 mm (6-25 mm) [sources: McGlone_2015; Mokany_2008; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 3.7 mm (1.5-6.2 mm) [sources: McGlone_2015; Mokany_2008; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_dry_mass (numerical): 7.52 mg (3.3-38 mg) [sources: Burrows_2001; Mokany_2008]
  • petiole_length (numerical): 0.08 cm (0.05-0.1 cm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • leaf_mass_per_area (numerical): 211.89 g/m2 (114.27-1719 g/m2) [sources: Burrows_2001; McCarthy_2017; Meers_2007; Mokany_2008]
  • leaf_mass_fraction (numerical): 0.18 g/g (0.11-0.28 g/g) [sources: Mokany_2008]
  • leaf_dry_matter_content (numerical): 0.45 g/g (0.3-0.55 g/g) [sources: Mokany_2008]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): narrowly_lanceolate (1); narrowly_ovate (1) [sources: Burrows_2001; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_margin (categorical): toothed (1); toothed_serrate (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_margin_posture (categorical): flat (1) [sources: RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (3) [sources: McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): concave (1); flat (1) [sources: RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): alternate (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • leaf_arrangement (categorical): crowded (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • leaf_inclination_angle (numerical): 66.33 deg (65-68 deg) [sources: Mokany_2008]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (4) [sources: Mokany_2008; White_2020]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): shrub (12) [sources: Clarke_2009; McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2022; NSWFRD_2014; Pickup_2021; RBGV_2022; Wenk_2022; White_2020]
  • life_form (categorical): chamaephyte (1); phanerophyte (1) [sources: Meers_2007; Mokany_2008]
  • life_history (categorical): perennial (3) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; Wenk_2023]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): woody (3) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; Wenk_2022]
  • stem_growth_habit (categorical): erect (2) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (5) [sources: Meers_2007; Mokany_2008; White_2020]
  • root_structure (categorical): ericoid_mycorrhizal (1) [sources: Meers_2007]
  • parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (3) [sources: White_2020]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): insect (4) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): endozoochory (4); myrmecochory (1); zoochory (2) [sources: Draper_2023; Kew_2019_5; Meers_2007; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • dispersers (categorical): birds (3); vertebrates (2) [sources: Draper_2023; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnyyyyyynn (2); nnyyyyyyyyyn (2); nyyyyyyyyynn (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • seedbank_location (categorical): soil_seedbank (4) [sources: NSWFRD_2014; Pickup_2021]
  • seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): persistent (7) [sources: NSWFRD_2014; Pickup_2021; White_2020]
  • seed_dormancy_class (categorical): morphophysiological_dormancy (1) [sources: Collette_2021]
  • vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (4) [sources: Meers_2007; White_2020]
  • clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): non_clonal (1) [sources: Meers_2007]
  • storage_organ (categorical): lignotuber (1) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): basal_buds (2); basal_stem_buds (4) [sources: Clarke_2009; Clarke_2015; Doherty_2021; NSWFRD_2014; Yang_2023]
seed morphology
  • seed_dry_mass (numerical): 29.02 mg (15.43-53.5 mg) [sources: ANBG_2019; Meers_2007]
  • seed_length (numerical): 5.66 mm (5.66-5.66 mm) [sources: ANBG_2019]
  • seed_width (numerical): 4.4 mm (4.4-4.4 mm) [sources: ANBG_2019]
  • seed_shape (categorical): globoid (1) [sources: ANBG_2019]
stem morphology
  • wood_density (numerical): 0.7 mg/mm3 (0.64-0.75 mg/mm3) [sources: McCarthy_2017]
whole plant morphology

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
White_20201854M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
Mokany_20081943K. Mokany and J. Ash. “Are traits measured on pot grown plants representative of those in natural communities?”. Journal of Vegetation Science 19 (2008), pp. 119-126. doi: 10.3170/2007-8-18340.
Burrows_2001520G. E. Burrows. “Comparative anatomy of the photosynthetic organs of 39 xeromorphic species from subhumid New South Wales, Australia”. International Journal of Plant Sciences 162 (2001), pp. 411-430. doi: 10.1086/319579.
eFLOWER_Dun_20221418L. Dun and H. Sauquet. “Unpublished: Floral traits for GAP taxa, University of New South Wales, Australia”. 2022.
McCarthy_2017315J. 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.
NHNSW_20231115N. 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_2021515M. Pickup and T. McDonald. Bushfire impacts — A national model for assessing local landscape restoration priorities. Project Phoenix Report. Greening Australia, 2021. url: https://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/1.02R2.pdf.
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.
NSWFRD_201499B. 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.
ANBG_201967Australian National Botanic Gardens. The National Seed Bank. 2018. url: http://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/living/seedbank/.
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.
NHNSW_2014_244Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
NHNSW_202244N. 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/.
RBGV_202244VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
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_200923P. 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.
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.
Yang_202333S. Yang. “Unpublished data: Fire response traits scored from national and state floras and the taxonomic literature, University of New South Wales”. 2023.
Cheal_201722D. 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.
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.
Purdie_197622R. 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_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
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.
Kew_2019_511Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed dispersal data from the Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Wenk_202311E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.