Richea ×curtisiae

Richea × curtisiae, commonly known as Curtis's candle heath, is a hybrid species of plant endemic to Tasmania. It belongs to the genus Richea, which forms part of the Ericaceae family, commonly known as the heath family.

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Richea × curtisiae has the form of an intermediate between the smaller shrub Richea scoparia and the larger erect shrub/tree Richea pandanifolia. As such, Richea × curtisiae forms a small shrub of between 30 and 150 cm (12 and 59 in) tall with an erect habit. Richea × curtisiae has few branches, with persistent leaves. These leaves are tapering and strap-like, which vary in length from 10 to 25 cm (4 to 10 in). The leaf margins are cartilaginous and are finely serrated and cutting, and the branch tips contains a dense rosette of leaves. As the leaves age they become brown, and the leaves on the lower two-thirds of the stem are dead and decaying. The inflorescence of Richea × curtisiae occurs as a terminal panicle, a branched inflorescence, which are between 10 and 20 cm (4 and 8 in) long. The peduncles, the stalks of the flowers, are 5 to 10 in number, and are short, between 2 and 4 mm (1⁄16 and 3⁄16 in). The flowers are pink to orange in colour. Richea × custisiae has an appearance similar to that of Richea alpina, but it is shorter, unbranched, and broadly spreading, and is restricted to alpine areas in the deep south-west.