Scientific Name: Planocarpa sulcata Endemic Having a natural distribution confined to a particular geographic region
Common Name: grooved cheeseberry
Family Classification (Clade): Eudicots
Family: Ericaceae
Threatened Species Status: Rare
Permit: It is an offence to collect, disturb, damage or destroy this species unless under permit.
Form Description: Grey-green shrub with many individual erect stems with leaves in clusters around.
Height (m): 0.2 – 0.4
Flowers: White, hairy on the inside but not towards the ends.
Fruit: Drupe – red, shiny, flattened, 5–7 mm wide.
Municipality
Plant Communities
Habitat Notes
Common in exposed alpine heath, coniferous heath and deciduous heath on shallow soils in the western mountains.
Site Tolerance
Exposed, Moist, Rocky, Windy
Soil Tolerance
Nutrient-poor, Well-drained
Propagation Calendar
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Flowering Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Seed Collecting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Sowing Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec -
Cutting Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Propagation Method
Seed Information
Seed Collection
Difficult to grow from seed. Masticate seed, leave on a hot window sill or store in paper bags and then remove dried seed case. Fruit is present for much of the year.
Seed Treatment Method
Fermentation Collect fleshy fruits in a plastic bag, mash up and allowed to ferment to replicate digestion by a bird.
Seed Treatment Notes
Seed germinates better after passing through a bird.
Cutting & Division Information
Difficult to grow from cuttings. Extreme care is needed when handling the typically fine roots of members of the Ericaceae family.