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Herbs & Plants

Acrotriche serrulata

Botanical Name: Acrotriche serrulata
Family: Epacridaceae/Ericaceae

Subfamily: Styphelioideae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ericales
Tribe: Styphelieae
Genus: Acrotriche

Common Names: Honeypots

Habitat:Acrotriche serrulata is native to Australia – New South Wales. It grows on dry sclerophyll forests on sandy soil and loam over sandstone, basalt or granite, at elevations from 800 – 1,300 metres.

Description:
Acrotriche serrulata is a shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in).
It is prostrate (growing along the ground.) The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).

The leaves are small, narrow and taper to a point, they have parallel veins. The flowers and fruit are hidden under the branches.
The flowers (the pots of honey) are held close to the ground and are ant-pollinated.

When not in flower, Spiky Guinea-flower (Hibbertia exutiacies) and Cranberry Heath can be confused with Honeypots. Leaves of Guinea Flowers do not have parallel veins, and the leaves are not flat – the leaves are rolled backwards. The leaves of Cranberry Heath are wider, usually have a blue tinge, taper to an extended point, and are usually minutely toothed.

In the Lauriston bushland Honeypots sometimes grows to a small shrub.

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Propagation:
Seed – we have no information for this speices, but the seed is likely to benefit from scarification. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 – 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen – if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing.

Edible Uses:
Fruits are eeaten raw. The succulent, greyish-green, globose fruit is 3 – 5mm in diameter. The fruits are sometimes harvested from the wild as a food.

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrotriche
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Acrotriche+serrulata
https://www.castlemaineflora.org.au/pic/a/acrot/acser.htm

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