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Pentachondra pumila

Common name:		Family:	Epacridaceae
Author:	(J.R.Forst.&G.Forst.)R.Br.	Botanical references:	154, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria. New Zealand.
Habitat:	Boggy and peaty ground[200] on heaths, tall alpine herb fields and sod-tussock grassland in the alpine and sub-alpine zones of Australia[154].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Epacris pumila[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	pumila = dwarf;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ericales. Epacris family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 0.1m by 0.5m . It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soil. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Cultivated Beds.

Edible Uses

Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[144]. Sweet and watery[193]. The fruit is a fleshy drupe about 12mm in diameter and comprising about 5 - 10 one-seeded nuts[200].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires an open position in a moisture-retentive gritty peaty pocket of lime-free soil in a rock garden[182, 200]. Plants are intolerant of drought[200]. Prefers mild winters and relatively cool moist summers[200]. Plants are difficult to grow in cultivation, especially in hot dry areas[188].
This species only succeeds outdoors in the mildest areas of the country, it is hardy to about -5°c[200].
In Australia the green fruit hangs on the plant overwinter and ripens in the following early summer[157]. Plants rarely fruit in Britain[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Seed can be very slow to germinate, sometimes taking 5 years. Stored seed and perhaps also freshly sown seed is best scarified[175]. Sow stored seed as soon as it is received. Two or three periods of 4 - 6 weeks cold stratification can also help to reduce the germination time[175]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for at least their first winter outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[200]. Subsequent growth is slow[157].
Division of rooted offsets[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[144] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976 ISBN 0-00-634436-4
A very good pocket guide.

[154] Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.
A flora of eastern Australia, it is rather short on information that is useful to the plant project.

[157] Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.

[175] Bird. R. (Editor) Focus on Plants. Volume 5. (formerly 'Growing from seed') Thompson and Morgan. 1991
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Corydalis spp.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[193] Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989 ISBN 0-207-14383-8
Well presented, clear information and good photographs. An interesting read for the casual reader as well as the enthusiast

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Readers Comments

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Pentachondra+pumila
This page (US) http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Pentachondra+pumila

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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.