Kunzea leptospermoides

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Yarra burgan
Kunzea leptospermoides.jpg
Kunzea leptospermoides growing in Donvale
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Kunzea
Species:
K. leptospermoides
Binomial name
Kunzea leptospermoides

Kunzea leptospermoides, commonly known as Yarra burgan, is a flowering plant in Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, and is endemic to Victoria, Australia. It is an erect shrub or small tree with narrow leaves and white flowers crowded near the ends of the branches in spring.

Contents

Description

Kunzea leptospermoides is an erect shrub or small tree which grows to a height of 2–5 m (7–20 ft). The leaves are arranged alternately, narrow elliptic to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 7–25 mm (0.3–1 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide with a petiole about 0.5 mm (0.02 in) long. The flowers are white and crowded in leaf axils near the ends of the branches on pedicels 1–3 mm (0.04–0.1 in) long. The floral cup is about 3 mm (0.1 in) long and more or less glabrous. The sepal lobes are green with a reddish base, triangular and about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The petals are white, almost round and about 2 mm (0.08 in) in diameter and there are 20-35 stamens which are up to 4 mm (0.2 in) long. Flowering occurs between September and December and is followed by fruit which is a capsule 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and wide. [1]

Taxonomy and naming

Kunzea leptospermoides was first formally described in 1856 by Friedrich Miquel following an unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller. The description was published in Nederlandsch Kruidkundig Archief. [2] [3] The specific epithet (leptospermoides) refers to the similarity of this species to a Leptospermum . The ending -oides is a Latin suffix meaning "resembling" or "having the form of". [4]

This kunzea was formerly included in Kunzea ericoides but that species is now regarded as a New Zealand endemic. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Yarra burgan grows near watercourses and in damp forest in the Yarra Valley. [1]

Uses

Kunzea peduncularis is suitable for use as a screening plant. It grows best in full sun in well-drained soils. It attracts butterflies and provides nesting sites for small birds. [5]

The wood was important to the Kulin people for making fighting implements and boomerangs. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Kunzea ericoides</i> Species of shrub

Kunzea ericoides, commonly known as kānuka, kanuka, or white tea-tree, is a tree or shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It has white or pink flowers similar to those of Leptospermum and from its first formal description in 1832 until 1983 was known as Leptospermum ericoides. The flowers have five petals and up to 25 stamens which are mostly longer than the petals.

<i>Kunzea</i> Genus of flowering plants

Kunzea is a genus of plants in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Australasia. They are shrubs, sometimes small trees and usually have small, crowded, rather aromatic leaves. The flowers are similar to those of plants in the genus Leptospermum but differ in having stamens that are longer than the petals. Most kunzeas are endemic to Western Australia but a few occur in eastern Australia and a few are found in New Zealand. The taxonomy of the genus is not settled and is complicated by the existence of a number of hybrids.

<i>Eucalyptus goniocalyx</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus goniocalyx, commonly known as long-leaved box, olive-barked box or bundy, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped, cylindrical or barrel-shaped fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus oleosa</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus oleosa, commonly known as the red mallee, glossy-leaved red mallee, acorn mallee, oil mallee or giant mallee, is a tree or mallee that is native to Australia. The leaves were once harvested for the production of cineole based eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptus cneorifolia is now the predominant strain used in production due to a higher oil content in new growth.

<i>Melaleuca halmaturorum</i> Species of plant

Melaleuca halmaturorum, commonly known as South Australian swamp paperbark, kangaroo honey-myrtle or salt paper-bark is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria. It is often a tree with an unusual, crooked form, sometimes looking like an enlarged example of bonsai.

<i>Kunzea baxteri</i> Species of flowering plant

Kunzea baxteri, commonly known as scarlet kunzea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia where it occurs near granite outcrops and hills. It is a shrub with large, scarlet, bottlebrush-like flower clusters, making it popular as a garden feature.

Kunzea peduncularis, commonly known as mountain burgan, is a flowering plant in Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, and is endemic to Victoria, Australia. It is usually a dense shrub and has lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base. Dense groups of white flowers appear in early summer.

<i>Scaevola hookeri</i> Species of plant

Scaevola hookeri, commonly known as the creeping fan-flower or alpine fan-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae. It has white or blue flowers with a yellow throat and grows in eastern Australia.

<i>Eucalyptus tenuiramis</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus tenuiramis, commonly known as the silver peppermint, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to southeastern Tasmania. It has smooth bark, broadly lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine to fifteen, white flowers and cup-shaped, hemispherical or conical fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus porosa</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus porosa, commonly known as mallee box, Quorn mallee or water mallee, is a species of mallee or a tree that is endemic to southern Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth greyish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and barrel-shaped or shortened spherical fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus leptophylla</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus leptophylla, commonly known as the March mallee, slender-leaved red mallee or narrow-leaved red mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to inland Australia. It has smooth greyish bark, linear to narrow lance-shaped, oblong or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and thirteen, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped, barrel-shaped or hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus cajuputea, commonly known as the narrow-leaved peppermint box, is a tree or a mallee that is endemic to South Australia. It usually has rough, flaky bark on the trunk, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of seven to eleven, white flowers and smooth, cup-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit.

<i>Kunzea axillaris</i> Species of shrub

Kunzea axillaris is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an erect shrub or tree with linear leaves and white flowers which are arranged singly in leaf axils. It is only known from the ranges on the north coast.

<i>Kunzea obovata</i> Species of shrub

Kunzea obovata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a spreading shrub with unusually-shaped leaves and clusters of pink to purple flowers. It is restricted to northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.

<i>Kunzea badjaensis</i> Species of shrub

Kunzea badjaensis is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is a shrub with egg-shaped leaves and clusters of white flowers near the end of the branches. It grows at high altitudes on the Southern Tablelands.

<i>Kunzea linearis</i> Species of flowering plant

Kunzea linearis, also known by the Maori name rawiri manuka, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It is a densely-foliaged shrub or small tree, characterised by very narrow leaves and clusters of small white flowers with five petals and a large number of stamens, which are longer than the petals. It grows in the north of the North Island and is the most distinctive of the New Zealand kunzeas.

<i>Kunzea phylicoides</i> Species of flowering plant

Kunzea phylicoides, commonly known as the slender burgan, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with drooping branches, fibrous or corky bark, bright green, narrow leaves and clusters of white flowers in spring.

<i>Leptospermum coriaceum</i> Australian species of plant

Leptospermum coriaceum, commonly known as green tea-tree or mallee teatree, is a shrub species that is endemic to south-eastern 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.

<i>Leptospermum micromyrtus</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum micromyrtus is a species of spreading shrub that is endemic to higher areas of south-eastern Australia. It has broad, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers and fruit that remain on the plant at maturity.

<i>Baeckea utilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Baeckea utilis, commonly known as mountain baeckea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with elliptic to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and white flowers, usually with eight stamens.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Messina, Andre; Stajsic, Val. "Kunzea leptospermoides". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  2. "Kunzea leptospermoides". APNI. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  3. Miquel, Friedrich A. W. (1856). "Stirpes Novo-Hollandas a Ferd Mullero collectas determinavit". Nederlandsch Kruidkundig Archief. 4 (1): 146. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  4. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 483.
  5. "Kunzea peduncularis". Yarra Ranges Shire Council. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  6. Scott, Rob; Blake, Neil; Campbell, Jeannie; Evans, Doug; Williams, Nicholas (2002). Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt A Gardening Guide for South-eastern Melbourne. St Kilda: Gardners Books. p. 121. ISBN   095810090X.