Heath tea-tree | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Gaudium |
Species: | G. myrsinoides |
Binomial name | |
Gaudium myrsinoides | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Gaudium myrsinoides, commonly known as the heath tea-tree or silky tea-tree, [2] is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has smooth bark on the younger stems, narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers and fruit that has the remains of the sepals attached but usually falls from the plant soon after the seeds are released.
Gaudium myrsinoides is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–2.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 8 ft 2 in). The older stems have stems with thin, firm bark and younger stems smooth bark that is hairy at first and later shed in stringy strips. The leaves are linear to narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide, tapering to a very short petiole. The flowers are usually borne singly, sometimes in pairs on short side shoots, and are white 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) wide and white. There are broad reddish brown bracts at the base of the flower bud but which usually fall off as the flower opens. The floral cup is about 4 mm (0.16 in) long on a very short pedicel and is usually silky-hairy only on the lower half. The sepals are about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long, the petals 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and the stamens less than 1 mm (0.039 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from October to November and the fruit is a hemispherical capsule 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide with the remains of the sepals attached, but which fall from the plant soon after the seeds are released. [2] [3] [4] [5]
This species was first formally described in 1847 by German botanist Diederich von Schlechtendal who gave it the name Leptospermum myrsinoides in the journal Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. [6] [7] In 2023, Peter Gordon Wilson transferred the species to the genus Gaudium as G. myrsinoides in the journal Taxon . [1]
The heath tea-tree grows in heath and mallee from Eden on the far south coast of New South Wales to the Mount Lofty Ranges and Kangaroo Island and is widespread in Victoria. [2] [3] [4]
Banksia ornata, commonly known as desert banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. The Ngarrindjeri people of the Lower Murray region in South Australia know it as yelakut. It has thin bark, serrated, narrow egg-shaped leaves with the lower end towards the base, cream-coloured flowers in a cylindrical spike, and later, up to fifty follicles in each spike, surrounded by the remains of the flowers.
Acacia retinodes is an evergreen shrub that is native to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Short racemes of yellow flowers are produced periodically throughout the year. Some common names are retinodes water wattle, swamp wattle, wirilda, ever-blooming wattle and silver wattle.
Diuris behrii, commonly known as golden cowslips, is a species of orchid which is endemic to southern continental Australia. It has between three and six grass-like leaves and a flowering stem with up to four drooping, yellow flowers with dark streaks on the labellum. The flowers appear between September and November in its native range.
Goodenia albiflora, commonly known as white goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to South Australia. It is a small, erect shrub with ridged stems, elliptic to egg-shaped, cauline leaves, racemes of white flowers with leaf-like bracteoles at the base, and oval fruit.
Pimelea hewardiana, commonly known as forked rice-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly elliptic leaves and head-like clusters of 7 to 34 unisexual yellow flowers.
Billardiera sericophora is a species of flowering plant in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is spreading shrub or climber that has mostly narrowly elliptic leaves and pendent yellow flowers arranged singly or in pairs.
Caladenia behrii, commonly known as pink-lipped spider orchid, is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It has a single narrow, hairy leaf and one or two creamy-white flowers with pink tips in early spring.
Caladenia tentaculata, commonly known as the eastern mantis orchid, large green-comb, green comb or fringed spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single, hairy leaf and up to three green flowers with red stripes on the sepals and petals.
Gaudium glaucescens, commonly known as the blue-green tea tree or smoky tea tree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has elliptical to egg-shaped leaves that are often greyish green, white flowers about 15 mm (0.59 in) in diameter arranged in consecutive leaf axils and fruit that remain on the plant for some time after maturity.
Conospermum patens, commonly known as the slender smokebush, is a species of flowering plant of the family Proteaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an erect shrub with crowded linear or spatula-shaped leaves, panicles of densely hairy white, bluish-grey or purplish flowers and hairy, yellowish-brown nuts.
Swainsona procumbens, commonly known as Broughton pea or swamp pea is a species of flowering plant in the pea family (Fabaceae), and is native to Australia. It is a spreading or ascending perennial shrub-like herb with imparipinnate leaves with 15 to 25 linear to narrowly lance-shaped leaflets with the narrower end towards the base, and racemes of 2 to 12 purple or mauve to pink flowers.
Prostanthera behriana, commonly known as tall mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is an erect to straggling shrub with egg-shaped leaves and white, pale blue, pale violet or purplish white flowers with red-brown spots or purple streaks inside.
Goodenia calcarata, commonly known as streaked goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, annual herb with toothed egg-shaped to oblong leaves, racemes of white, cream-coloured or pink to mauve flowers with brownish markings, and oval fruit.
Goodenia pinnatifida, commonly known as cut-leaf goodenia, scrambled eggs or mother ducks, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to Australia. It is a low-lying to ascending perennial herb with toothed to pinnatisect leaves, racemes of yellow flowers and more or less spherical fruit.
Triplarina imbricata, commonly known as creek triplarina, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to northern New South Wales. It is a shrub with weeping branches, narrow egg-shaped leaves, and flowers in pairs with five sepals, five relatively small white petals and fourteen to seventeen stamens.
Dampiera rosmarinifolia, commonly known as rosemary dampiera, is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae.It is a perennial subshrub with linear leaves, mauve or purple flowers borne in leaf axils.
Pomaderris flabellaris, commonly known as fan pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a low shrub with fan-shaped leaves, and small clusters of woolly-hairy flowers.
Olearia brachyphylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a densely-branched, aromatic shrub with woolly-hairy stems, oblong to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and small white and pale yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.
Brachyloma ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-east of continental Australia. It is an erect or spreading shrub with linear to narrowly elliptic leaves and usually pink, tube-shaped flowers.
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