255:. Convergent evolution is defined as when different lineages of structures are similar to each other, but do not share a common ancestor. This is typical of plants which inhabit harsh environments as there may only be a limited number of biological solutions to the physiological demands of harsh environments. Tasmanian cushion plants converged due to wind activity at such high altitudes, the funnelling of wind will blow away anything that grows too tall. Additionally, the density of the packed stems in the cushion plant prevents deep freezing during the winter months.
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The close branching of shoots, short internodes and tightly packed stems cause the characteristic hemispherical shape of a cushion plant species. It can spread approximately 1 metre in diameter with its adventitious roots forming at various points along the prostrate branches. The leaves are silver
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grey in colour with rust-coloured hairs. In shape, the leaves are broadly oval and approximately 10mm long. At the ends of the branches, small, white, papery flower heads occur in summer. This morphology allows this species to be very frost tolerant.
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is easily distinguished since it is the only cushion-forming species, the other two are mat-forming plants. The
Australian species of
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This species is endemic to
Tasmania, meaning it is not found anywhere else. It exists in montane vegetation and
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602:"Phylogenetic relationships in Australasian Gnaphalieae (Compositae) inferred from ITS sequences"
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Uncommon alpine species which is mat-forming with wooly white leaves and stems forming clumps
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Breitwieser, Ilse; Glenny, David S.; Thorne, Anita; Wagstaff, Steven J. (September 1999).
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communities throughout the alpine areas of the central and western
Tasmanian mountains.
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communities throughout the alpine areas of the central and western
Tasmanian mountains
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Cushion- forming with clusters of rust coloured rosettes and small, white flowers
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It is mostly found in exposed places at high altitudes in the central mountains
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It is found on the eastern and central mountains in grassy or disturbed areas
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Mat-forming, alpine plant with clustered, solitary flower heads
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457:"The anatomy and morphology of four Tasmanian cushion species"
547:"Convergent Evolution - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics"
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has three, all of which are low growing, alpine species.
486:"Cushion plants | Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania"
280:, all of which are low growing, hairy alpine species.
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226:E. meredithiae has papery, white terminal flowers
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251:The cushion plants are a great example of
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265:amongst other Tasmanian alpine species
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296:. In particular the relationships of
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334:It exists in montane vegetation and
201:species. Out of the four species in
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300:are unclear as compared to other
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16:Tasmanian endemic plant species
434:www.understorey-network.org.au
274:Tasmania has three species of
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618:10.1080/0028825x.1999.9512644
606:New Zealand Journal of Botany
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694:"Key to Tasmanian Dicots"
667:"Key to Tasmanian Dicots"
640:"Key to Tasmanian Dicots"
574:"Key to Tasmanian Dicots"
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41:Scientific classification
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232:Distribution and habitat
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205:from this small genus,
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551:www.sciencedirect.com
523:"Ewartia meredithiae"
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253:convergent evolution
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347:Ewartia meredithiae
327:Ewartia meredithiae
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298:Ewartia meredithiae
282:Ewartia meredithiae
192:rusty cushion plant
187:Ewartia meredithiae
178:(F.Muell.) Beauverd
172:Ewartia meredithiae
154:E. meredithiae
25:Ewartia meredithiae
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391:Ewartia planchonii
374:Ewartia planchonii
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837:Flora of Tasmania
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791:Open Tree of Life
720:Taxon identifiers
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336:bolster heath
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163:Binomial name
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832:Gnaphalieae
765:iNaturalist
302:Gnaphalieae
213:Description
84:Angiosperms
826:Categories
703:2022-03-18
676:2022-03-18
649:2022-03-18
583:2022-03-18
556:2022-03-17
532:2022-03-17
495:2022-03-17
466:2022-03-17
439:2022-03-17
401:References
304:species.
130:Asteraceae
743:Q49551477
626:0028-825X
270:Phylogeny
247:Evolution
203:Australia
148:Species:
120:Asterales
54:Kingdom:
809:50194777
804:Tropicos
737:Wikidata
318:Habitat
312:Species
207:Tasmania
126:Family:
110:Asterids
97:Eudicots
286:Ewartia
277:Ewartia
196:endemic
141:Ewartia
136:Genus:
116:Order:
58:Plantae
770:323126
624:
321:Photo
315:Habit
796:68500
783:90786
757:87557
104:Clade
91:Clade
78:Clade
65:Clade
778:NCBI
752:APNI
622:ISSN
292:and
288:are
614:doi
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
