Gaudium polyanthum | |
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In the Australian National Botanic Gardens | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Gaudium |
Species: | G. polyanthum |
Binomial name | |
Gaudium polyanthum | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Leptospermum polyanthumJoy Thomps. |
Gaudium polyanthum is a rigid, spreading shrub or small tree that is endemic to New South Wales. It has thin, rough bark, young stems that are hairy at first, elliptical leaves, relatively small white flowers and fruit are shed when the seeds are mature.
Gaudium polyanthum is a spreading shrub or small tree, often with pendulous branches, that typically grows to a height of up to 5 m (16 ft). The bark on older stems is thin and rough, often furrowed or flaky, the younger stems have silky hairs at first. The leaves are elliptical 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide tapering to a short, thin petiole. The flowers are borne singly, sometimes in pairs, on short side shoots from adjacent leaf axils and are white, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide. There are a few reddish-brown bracts and bracteoles at the base of the young flower buds but are soon shed. The floral cup is usually glabrous, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and the sepals are egg-shaped and about 0.7 mm (0.028 in) long. The petals are about 3 mm (0.12 in) long and the stamens 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from October to January and the fruit is a capsule about 3 mm (0.12 in) in diameter with the remains of the sepals attached, and that is usually shed from the plant before the next flowering season. [2] [3]
Gaudium polyanthum was first formally described in 1989 by Joy Thompson in the journal Telopea , based on plant material collected by Ernest Constable near the Nepean Dam near Bargo in 1953. [3] [4] [5] In 2023, Peter Gordon Wilson transferred the species to the genus Gaudium as G. parvifolium in the journal Taxon . [1] [6] The specific epithet (polyanthum) refers to the large number of flowers produced on the flowering stems. [3]
This tea-tree grows on rocky escarpments on rocky gullies near streams and is found south of the Warrumbungles and Armidale district and along the coast and tablelands to the Wombeyan Caves. [2] [3]
Gaudium laevigatum, commonly known as the coast tea tree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia, but has been widely introduced in other places where it is often considered to be a weed. It has thin, rough bark on the older stems, narrow egg-shaped leaves, relatively large white flowers and flat topped fruit that is shed shortly after reaching maturity.
Gaudium trinervium, commonly known as flaky-barked tea-tree, slender tea-tree or paperbark tree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has papery bark that is shed in thin, flaking layers, narrow elliptic to broadly egg-shaped leaves with the narrower at the base, white flowers and silky-hairy fruit that falls from the plant when mature.
Leptospermopsis erubescens, commonly known as the roadside tea tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to southwest of Western Australia. It has thin, fibrous bark, egg-shaped leaves, small white flowers and woody fruit.
Leptospermum inelegans is a species of straggly shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has only partly hairy young stems, egg-shaped to narrow elliptical leaves on a short petiole, relatively small white or pink flowers and fruit that fall from the plant when mature.
Gaudium coriaceum, commonly known as green tea-tree or mallee teatree, is a shrub species that is endemic to south-eastern and south-central Australia. It has smooth bark on the younger stems, elliptic to narrow egg-shaped leaves, white flowers and woody fruit. The usual habitat is mallee on sand dunes.
Gaudium multicaule, commonly known as the silver tea-tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south eastern Australia. It has linear, narrow elliptical or narrow egg-shaped leaves, white or pink flowers usually borne singly on short side shoots, and fruit the falls from the plant soon after the seeds are released.
Gaudium parvifolium, commonly known as lemon-scented tea-tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has thin, rough bark, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white or pink flowers, and fruit with the remains of the sepals attached but that is shed when the seeds are mature.
Gaudium deanei, commonly known as Deane's tea-tree, is a species of rare, slender shrub that is endemic to the northern suburbs of Sydney. It has bark peeling in long strips from the older stems, hairy young stems, narrow elliptical to lance-shaped leaves, white flowers arranged singly on short side shoots and mostly glabrous fruit.
Gaudium blakelyi is a species of shrub that is endemic to rocky clifftops near Lithgow in New South Wales. It has densely silky young stems, egg-shaped to elliptical leaves and white or pink flowers.
Gaudium brevipes, commonly known as the slender tea-tree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has fibrous bark on the main stems, smooth bark on young stems, narrow elliptical to narrow egg-shaped leaves, white flowers and hemispherical fruit that is shed when mature.
Gaudium divaricatum is a species of plant that is endemic to inland New South Wales. It is an erect or weeping shrub with compact fibrous bark, elliptical to egg-shaped leaves, white flowers arranged singly on short axillary side shoots and woody fruit that fall off when mature.
Gaudium lamellatum is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to inland Queensland and has distinctive reddish, layered bark. It has narrow elliptical leaves, white flowers and small fruit that fall from the plant when mature.
Gaudium microcarpum is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has elliptical to lance-shaped leaves with a sharp point on the tip, white flowers and small fruit that falls from the plant shortly after the seeds are released.
Gaudium namadgiense is a species of small shrub that is endemic to areas near the border between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It has silky-hairy, narrow lance-shaped to elliptical leaves, usually white flowers borne singly or in pairs on short side shoots, and fruit that falls from the plant shortly after the seeds are released.
Leptospermum neglectum is a shrub or small tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has elliptical leaves that are silky-hairy at first, white flowers on short shoots in leaf axils and fruit with the remnants of the sepals attached but that fall from the plant shortly after the seeds are released.
Aggreflorum purpurascens, commonly known as the purple-stemmed turkey bush, is a shrub or small tree that is endemic to far north Queensland. It has bark that is purple when new, elliptical to broadly lance-shaped leaves, relatively small white flowers arranged in pairs, and small fruit that falls from the plants when the seeds are released.
Leptospermum rupicola is a low-growing shrub that is endemic to New South Wales where it grows near cliffs. It has thin, rough bark, narrow lance-shaped leaves, white flowers and relatively large fruit that remain on the plant at maturity.
Gaudium semibaccatum is a species of low, dense shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has egg-shaped to narrow elliptical leaves with a blunt tip, white or pink flowers and hairy, flat-topped fruit that falls from the plant shortly after the seeds are released. It grows in poorly-drained soil in coastal heath.
Gaudium sericatum is a species of erect shrub that is endemic to Queensland. It has thin, firm bark, narrow egg-shaped to elliptical leaves, white or pink flowers arranged usually singly on side shoots and fruit that falls from the plant when the seeds are released.
Leptospermum subglabratum is a species of open shrub that is endemic to a south-eastern New South Wales. It has thin, rough bark, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers arranged singly on short side shoots and relatively small fruit that falls from the plant at maturity.