Bertya tasmanica (Sond. & F.Muell.) Müll.Arg. APNI* Description: Much branched shrub up to 2.5 metres high, sometimes thinly viscid on buds and flowers. Branchlets angular becoming terete with age with a dense indumentum of stellate hairs, becoming glabrous with age.
Leaves petiolate, spirally alternate, ascending to spreading; petiole 1.0–3.1 mm long, with a dense stellate indumentum; laminar lorate to linear
Inflorescences of a single flower or rarely umbelliform with 2 flowers, peduncluate, axillary, 5-lobed; peduncles 0.7–2.0 mm long; bracts 5–9 persistent; outer bracts ovate to narrow-ovate or oblong, denslely stellate-pubescent on both surfaces. or glabrous adaxially; inner bracts ovate to broad-ovate, orbicular or lancelate, glabrtous except for stellate hairs on margin or along midline adaxially. Male flowers sessile, yellowish with a red tinge. Female flowers ± sessile, llight green tinged red to maroon distally. Ovary ellipsoid 1.3–2.2 mm long, mostly 3-locular, densely stellate pubescent to tomentose rarely glabrous.
Capsule ellipsoid or narrow-ovoid 5.6–8.0 mm long with a sparse to dense indumentum if stellate hairs (rarely glabrous), 1-seeded. Seed obloid, 3.9–5.2 mm long, 1.8–3.1 mm across, light brown; caruncle pyramidal, 1.1–1.5 mm across, yellowish-white.
Distribution and occurrence: Is widespread in SE Australia from near Kimba, South Australia east to Coonabarabran and the southern tablelands of NSW, south to the east coast of Tasmania.
NSW subdivisions: ST, NWS
Other Australian states: Vic. S.A.
Bertya tasmanica includes the taxon that has been previously known by the misapplied name Bertya mitchellii.
Text by Louisa Murray
Taxon concept: Halford, D.A. and Henderson, J.F. (2002) Austrobaileya 6(2): 187-245 (2002) Studies in Euphorbiaceae A.L.Juss. sens. lat. 3. A revision of Bertya Planch. (Ricinocarpaceae Mull.Arg.. Bertyinae Mull.Arg.)
Taxa not yet included in identification key
'Fine-haired',
'Glabrous ovary',
'Golden-haired',
'Typical'
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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