80 NATIVE FLOWERS OP VICTORIA. 
have opened flowers of the double form and have 
found ten separate cups or beUs, all inside of each 
other. Although rare, the double form is not nearly 
so dainty as the ordinary form. This heath is called 
Epacris impressa, and the genus is almost purely 
Australian. This heath grows quite readily and 
freely under cultivation, if accorded the same treat- 
ment which is given to the ordinary garden heaths. 
The soil must be well drained and light — sandy for 
preference. The most suitable soil is a sandy peat, 
with no clay. They require no manure whatever; 
but an occasional top dressing of fresh peaty soil is 
helpful to them. They need to be kept fairly dry in 
winter, and given a good supply of moisture in 
summer. This Epacris will readily transplant, if 
young plants are selected, and if the roots be undis- 
turbed, and it grows readily from seed. Another 
species, Epacris longiflora, is recorded only from East 
Gippsland, but it is frequent in New South Wales. 
The flowers are larger than the common heath, and 
are not so variable in colour, which is of a crimson 
red, and white at the tips. 
All of the other Victorian species — there are nearly 
a dozen of them — have white or very pale pink 
flowers. 
A nearly related plant is Brachyloma daphnoides, 
bearing large numbers of small white and sweetly 
scented bells. This grows in the form of a low biish, 
and on account of the quantity of nectar which is 
secrets, it is much visited by bees. 
SprengeMa incarnata is one of the heaths which 
grow only on swampy ground or on stream margins. 
