Common name: Pink Swamp Heath
Sprengelia incarnata Sm. APNI* 
Description: Erect shrub, 50–200 cm high, glabrous.
Leaves ovate to lanceolate, 5–20 mm long, 2–6 mm wide, mucro 0.4–0.6 mm long; margins entire or ciliolate where stem-clasping.
Flowers in clusters of 3–20, pink; bracts ovate, 2.5–4 mm long, acuminate with a 0.5 mm mucro, ciliolate on the broad hyaline base. Sepals often spreading, triangular, 4–5 mm long, acute, glabrous. Corolla tube 0.7–1.3 mm long; lobes usually spreading, 3–5 mm long, acute, glabrous. Anthers 1.5–1.8 mm long, cohering, papillose-hairy on the outside.
Fruit c. 1.8 mm diam.
Flowering: June–October
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in swampy shrubland and in heath on sand; south from Coffs Harbour.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, CWS
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by J. M. Powell, except for groups with contributors listed
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
ECOLOGY
Life History
Longevity 5--20 years.
Primary juvenile period May attain flowering maturity at 50 cm high in less than 4 years.
Flowers Pink, June--November, peak August--September.
Fruit/seed Capsule, 1.8 mm long, mature September--December.
Dispersal, establishment and growth Diaspore: seed. Recruitment mainly after fire, fire temperature more than 60¡ C for maximum germination, non-dormant fraction of total seed crop 33% (D. Keith pers. comm.).
Fire response Killed by high intensity fire (at Lane Cove River, P. Kubiak pers. comm.), re-establishes from soil-stored seed.
Habitat
Habitat Wet heath on sandstone.
Altitude 0--1200 m
Annual rainfall above 1200 mm
Typical local abundance Frequent.
Vegetation Perennially wet heath or sedgeland e.g. with Gleichenia, Banksia robur, Banksia ericifolia, Hakea teretifolia.
Substrate Sandy loam on sandstone, poorly-drained and permanently moist. Low nutrient.
Exposure Full sun.
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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