Tetratheca stenocarpa

It is a prostrate or weeping small shrub which grows to between 1 and 1.5 metres high and 0.5 to 1 metre wide. The leaves are triangular to rounded with toothed edges.[1] These are 5 to 12 millimetres long and wide and are reduced to scales on flowering stems and are often only seen on young growth.[2] The pale to deep lilac-pink (rarely white) bell-shaped flowers appear between July and January in their native range.[1][2] These occur in clusters of 1 to 3 on petioles with dense, gland-tipped hairs.[1]

It is similar in appearance to Tetratheca ciliata, but the latter has petioles with only a few gland-tipped hairs.[1]

The species was first formally described by James Hamlyn Willis in The Victorian Naturalist in 1957.[3] He discovered the species in 1952 near Gembrook.[1]

The species has a restricted distribution, occurring in damp forests in hilly country to the east of Melbourne, on French Island and in a separate population in Gisborne.[4] The species is classified as rare in Victoria.[4] It adapts well to disturbed sites, and is often found on exposed road cuttings.[4]

The species is free-flowering and is suitable for moist shady positions. It can be situated under established trees or at the top of retaining walls, or used in a cottage garden setting.[1]