Mountain Devil

Description:

Small shrub

Habitat:

Coastal heath

Notes:

Lambertia formosa is the only species in the genus to occur in eastern Australia. It is a small to medium shrub, often no more than a metre or so high but sometimes reaching 2 metres. It has stiff, linear-shaped leaves 0.3 mm wide by about 50 mm long with a sharp tip. The red, tubular-shaped flowers occur at the ends of the branches in groups of 7, each cluster being about 50 mm in length. Flowering usually occurs in winter and spring but some flowers are often present at other times of the year. The flowers contain nectar and a frequented by honey eating birds. After flowering, small, horned seed capsules develop and these give rise to the common name of "mountain devil". However, the species is not confined to mountain areas and is often seen in bushland throughout the Sydney region including coastal heaths