Ozothamnus ericifolius Hook.

De Salas, Miguel F. & Schmidt-Lebuhn, Alexander N., 2018, Integrative approach resolves the taxonomy of the Ozothamnus ledifolius (Asteraceae: Gnaphaliae) species complex in Tasmania, Australia, Phytotaxa 358 (2), pp. 117-138 : 132

Ozothamnus ericifolius Hook. f in Hooker (1847: 119).

Type :— AUSTRALIA. Tasmania: “Marlborough, 7ft high, 5.i.1841, Gunn 1163/1842 ” (holotype: K 000910492 [photo!]; isotype: BM 000603643 [photo!]) .

≡ Helichrysum pleurandroides Mueller (1866: 200) .

≡ Ozothamnus rosmarinifolius var. ericifolius Rodway (1903: 89) .

≡ Helichrysum ledifolium subsp. ericifolium (Hook.f.) Burbidge (1958: 272) .

≡ Helichrysum ericeteum Curtis (1963: 334) nom. illeg., nom. superfl.

≡ Ozothamnus ericeteus (W.M.Curtis) Anderberg (1991: 89) nom. illeg., nom. superfl.

Erect, floriferous columnar shrub to 2.5 m tall. Stems and branches tomentose, indumentum closely appressed and often stained greenish yellow by a resinous exudate, strongly, sweetly aromatic; older stems with rough bark, leaf bases inconspicuous. Leaves crowded, linear, spreading to reflexed, older ones strongly reflexed and often appressed to stem, rarely encrusted with black fungi; lamina linear to oblong, (1.7–)2.5–5.8(–6.9) mm long and (0.7–)1.0–1.5(– 1.8) mm wide; adaxial surface moderately tomentose, mid-green with midrib sunken; abaxial surface with abundant pale indumentum and midrib darker; both surfaces resinous in younger leaves; base hardly or not narrowed; margins parallel, recurved, but density of abaxial tomentum making the leaves appear flat; apex obtuse, rounded. Inflorescence a corymbose panicle, terminal, soon overtopped by lateral branches arising from axillary buds; bracts ovate to lanceolate, with margins scarious, ciliate-fimbriate, and apex acute. Involucre narrowly cylindrical-conical, 4–5 mm long, (1.2–)1.4–2.0(–2.1) mm diameter, often suffused pink; outer involucral bracts tomentose, margins scarious, viscid; inner involucral bracts 4.5–5 mm long, spathulate, with a long claw or petiole, and a spreading white lamina. Florets (5–)6–8(–9), most commonly 6 or 7. Achenes papillose-pubescent; pappus barbellate, with ends somewhat clavate. Flowers Jan.–Feb.

Distribution and habitat:—On Jurassic dolerite and Tertiary basalt substrates on the Central Plateau of Tasmania, from the northern and eastern escarpments to approximately Lake St. Clair to Lake Augusta in the west, and the Dee Lagoon / Bronte Park area in the south.

Remarks:—Characterised by its very small leaf size, commonly having 6–8 florets per capitulum, and the yellowish-green exudate on its leaves. Towards the margins of the Plateau it gradually merges into O. purpurascens .

Selected specimens:— AUSTRALIA. Tasmania: 6 miles SW of Great Lake on Bronte Rd , 27 Jan 1949, N. T. Burbidge 3418 ( CANB) ; Near Great Lake , 08 Mar 1951, E. Gauba TAS 542 ( CBG) ; 10 miles [16 km] N. of Bronte Park, 24 Jan 1962, M. E. Phillips 380 ( CBG) ; Great Lake , between Miena & Bronte, 05 Dec 1965, M. E. Phillips 1091 ( CBG) ; Between Great Lake & Bronte, 15 Jan 1970, W. M. Curtis s.n. ( HO) ; Arthurs Lake , 30 Dec 1973, A. V. Ratkowsky & D. A. Ratkowsky 1066 ( NSW) ; Great Lake , 18 Dec 1975, A. Hewer s.n. ( HO) ; Near Dee Lagoon , 10 Jan 1976, D. A. Ratkowsky s.n. ( HO) ; Near Lake Augusta, 20 Jan 1980, G. C. Wade s.n. ( HO) ; Liawenee Canal Road , 19 Mar 1980, I. Boyer s.n. ( HO) ; Monpeelyata Canal, near Ouse River , 08 Jan 1981, A. M. Gray 539 ( HO) ; Arthurs Lake, Brazendale Island , 16 Feb 1981, A. Moscal 700 ( HO) ; Little Pine Lagoon , N end, 06 Apr 1981, A. Moscal 754 ( HO) ; Monpeelyata Road, Rushcroft Creek , 20 Feb 1984, A. Moscal 6308 ( HO) ; River Ouse. Map: Shannon , 24 Feb 1984, A. Moscal 6500 ( CANB) ; Unnamed hill, 1.5 km S of Tea-tree Bay on Arthurs Lake, 27 Feb 1984, A. Moscal 6537 ( AD) ; Great Lake at Marlborough Highway , 08 Mar 1984, D. I. Morris s.n. ( HO) ; Haddens Bay, Great Lake at G. Wades shack, 08 Mar 1984, D. I. Morris & W. M. Curtis s.n. ( MEL) ; Marlborough Highway , S of Little Pine Lagoon, 02 Apr 1986, R. Burns ANBG 628 ( CBG) ; 2.2 km S of Interlaken along Dennistoun Road to Bothwell , 16 Jan 1989, F. E. Davies 921 ( CBG) ; Central Highlands region, 2.2 km S of Interlaken along Dennistoun road to Bothwell , 16 Jan 1989, F. E. Davies & P. Ollerenshaw FED 921 ( PERTH) ; in small quarry on road alongside Liawenee Canal , between Great Lake and Lake Augusta, 29 Jan 1990, R. Burns 146 ( CBG) ; Lake Highway 25.5km N of Bothwell, 08 Jan 1992, A. M. Gray G756 ( HO) ; Ouse River 1.5km downstream of Waddamana , 23 Mar 1994, A. M. Buchanan 13703 ( HO) ; Western end of Miena on Lake Highway , 02 Mar 1995, P. C. Jobson 3424 ( CANB) ; Sevenpound Bay, Arthurs Lakes , 06 Jun 1996, A. M. Buchanan 14183 ( HO) ; Tods Corner, Great Lake , 09 Dec 1997, A. M. Buchanan 15008a ( HO) ; A. M. Buchanan 15008b ( HO) ; Below Pine Tier Lagoon , 02 Feb 2000, B. French BF 450 ( HO) ; Waddamana - Bothwell - Osterley intersection, 02 Feb 2007, M. Visoiu 279 ( HO) ; Transmission line easement at intersection of Waddamana Road and Bashan Road , 20 Feb 2009, J. Wood 83 ( HO) ; Skullbone Plains, Tasmanian Land Conservancy property, 27 Feb 2012, A. N. Schmidt-Lebuhn 1282 ( CANB) ; A. N. Schmidt-Lebuhn 1326 ( CANB) ; St Patricks Plains , 12 Jan 2014, M. F. de Salas 476 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 477 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 478 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 479 ( HO) ; Miena , 12 Jan 2014, M. F. de Salas 481 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 482 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 483 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 484 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 485 ( HO) ; Liawenee , 12 Jan 2014, M. F. de Salas 486 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 491 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 492 ( HO) ; Lake Augusta , 12 Jan 2014, M. F. de Salas 489 ( HO) ; M. F. de Salas 490 ( HO) ; Pine River, Marlborough , 7 Jan 1837, R. C. Gunn 1163 ( NSW) ; Great Lake , Feb 1894, L. Rodway s.n. ( HO) ; Gr [eat] Lake , s.d., A. Simson 2336 ( MEL) ; Great Lake , s.d., A. Simson s.n. ( HO) ; Great Lake , Feb 1982, D. Wade s.n. ( HO) .