Australian Heath

Epacris purpurascens is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 0.5–1.5 m (1 ft 8 in – 4 ft 11 in), its stems with prominent leaf scars and the branchlets shaggy-hairy. The leaves are pressed against the stem near their bases, and are egg-shaped or heart-shaped, 7–21 mm (0.28–0.83 in) long and 4.4–9 mm (0.17–0.35 in) wide on a petiole 0.8–1.5 mm (0.031–0.059 in) long. The leaves are concave and taper to a sharp, bristly point. The flowers are arranged along the branches, each flower on a pedicel about 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The sepals are 4.3–6.5 mm (0.17–0.26 in) long, the petals white or pink, and joined at the base, forming a bell-shaped tube 4.3–7.7 mm (0.17–0.30 in) long with lobes 3.6–5 mm (0.14–0.20 in) long.

This epacris grows in forest and scrub near creeks and swamps in eastern New South Wales. The variety onosmiflora is restricted to the Blue Mountains and var. purpurascens grows on coastal plateaus in the Sydney and Gosford districts.

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