Kunzea rupestris

Last updated

Kunzea rupestris
Villous myrtle on moss on sandstone.jpg
growing on moss near Cowan Creek, Australia
Kunzea rupestris flower yeomans.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Kunzea
Species:
K. rupestris
Binomial name
Kunzea rupestris

Kunzea rupestris, the rocky kunzea, is a rare Australian plant in the myrtle family. There are some 20 known populations, all just north of Sydney, including Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and Marramarra National Park. Threats to this species include track maintenance, invasive weeds, removal of rocks and sand, fire management and the cut flower industry. [1]

Contents

Description

Kunzea rupestris grows as a spreading clonal shrub, 0.5 to 2 metres tall. Foliage is dense with leaves 6 to 11 mm long,1.5 to 3 mm wide. The reverse lanceolate shaped leaves have a triangular shaped tip. New growth is noticeably villous. Mature leaves may be without hairs. White to cream flowers form in stalkless clusters in spring at the edge of branchlets. The sepals have a triangular shape, 1 to 1.5 mm long. Petals are 1 to 1.5 mm long. The hypanthium of the flower is also densely covered in small shaggy hairs. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Kunzea rupestris usually grows on rocky platforms. [3] It is known to occur between Lower Portland in the north and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park to the south in central New South Wales. Often found in depressions or cracks in the rock with poor quality shallow soil, it is sometimes associated with moss. It grows at elevations between 50 metres and 300 metres above sea level. The habitat is exposed to full sunshine, regular drought, high temperatures, heavy rain and occasional frost and fire.

Regeneration

The indehiscent fruit are 4 to 5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide. They usually do not open at maturity to release seed. These thin-walled fruit have two internal capsules, and support seed dormancy. Placentation is apical, the style is 5 to 6 mm long. The plant regenerates from the base after fire or physical damage. However, seedlings have been observed after fire. Hybrids with Kunzea capitata have been recorded. [4]

Taxonomy

First collected by botanists on bare sandstone rocks near Canoelands in 1927. The rock shelf is in the vicinity of the Colo trig station, at an elevation of 262 metres above sea level. The plant first appeared in scientific literature in the journal of the Linnean Society of New South Wales in 1929, published by William Blakely. The specific epithet rupestris means near rocks. [3]

Related Research Articles

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

Kunzea ericoides, commonly known as kānuka, kanuka, white tea-tree or burgan, 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>Kunzea ericifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Kunzea ericifolia, commonly known as spearwood, native tree or yellow kunzea, or as kitja boorn, poorndil or condil by the Noongar people, is an erect woody evergreen shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has soft green linear leaves and spherical heads of usually yellow flowers in spring.

<i>Protea aristata</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea aristata is a compact shrub with beautiful flowers which is endemic to the southwestern part of the Cape Region of South Africa. P. aristata has become one of South Africa's most famous proteas in spite of its relatively late discovery, and re-discovery in 1953. The leaves are soft, dense and needle-like and the flower heads are a stunning crimson red, it may thus be a good potential ornamental plant for South African gardens. It is usually called the Ladismith sugarbush in South African English, although it has been called pine sugar bush in Australia. In the Afrikaans language it has the vernacular name of klein-den-suikerbos.

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

Kunzea ambigua, commonly known as white kunzea, poverty bush or tick bush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is found mainly on sandstone soils in eastern Australia. Growing up to 5 m (16 ft) high and wide, it bears small white flowers in spring. Used in native gardening, it attracts native insects. It is also used in amenities planting and sand dune stabilization.

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

Kunzea pulchella, commonly known as granite kunzea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with spreading branches, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves and loose groups of red flowers, each on a short stalk so that the branch is visible between the flowers.

<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.

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

Kunzea capitata is a shrub species in the family Myrtaceae. It is native to New South Wales in Australia.

<i>Calothamnus rupestris</i> Species of flowering plant

Calothamnus rupestris, commonly known as mouse ears or granite net-bush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with short, stiff, prickly leaves and pink to red flowers in spring.

<i>Kunzea</i> Badja Carpet

Kunzea 'Badja Carpet' is a cultivar of Kunzea badjaensis. It is a low-growing shrub of the family Myrtaceae found in the southeastern tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. It is similar to Kunzea capitata, but it has a lower growth form and white rather than pink flowers. Because of these differences it has been described as a distinct species. The species had previously been known as Kunzea sp. 'Wadbilliga'.

<i>Corynocarpus rupestris</i> Species of flowering plant

Corynocarpus rupestris, commonly known as the Glenugie karaka, is a rainforest tree found in eastern Australia. It is a rare plant with a ROTAP rating of 2VC-t. There are two sub-species; arborescens is a small hairless shrub or tree up to 13 metres (45 ft) tall with a stem diameter up to 40 cm (16 in), and sub-species rupestris grows only to 6 metres (20 ft), with a stem diameter up to 17 cm (7 in).

Zanthoxylum parvum, known as Shinners' tickletongue and small prickly-ash, is a species of shrub in the family Rutaceae. It is native to the mountains of Trans-Pecos Texas in Brewster and Jeff Davis counties. Zanthoxylum parvum is a rare and poorly understood plant. It is sometimes considered a synonym of Zanthoxylum americanum.

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

Kunzea ciliata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub which typically grows to a height of 0.8 to 1.5 metres and blooms between October and November producing pink flowers.

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

Kunzea clavata, commonly known as the Torbay spearwood, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area on the south coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub or tree, typically with many branches and grows to a height of 2.5 to 4 metres. It blooms between September and October producing yellow flowers.

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

Kunzea similis is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area along the south coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub with linear to lance-shaped leaves with a single vein, and spherical groups of between four and ten pink flowers on the ends of shoots.

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

Kunzea pauciflora, the Mount Melville kunzea, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to a small area on the south coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub with the stems densely branched near their ends, linear leaves and one, two or three pink flowers near the ends of the branches but usually only at the top of the shrub.

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

Leptospermum sericeum, commonly known as the silver tea tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has thin, firm bark, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, relatively large, pink flowers and fruit that fall from the plant with the seeds. It grows in windswept rock crevices near Esperance.

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

Kunzea amathicola, also known by the Maori names manuka and rawiritoa, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New Zealand. It is a densely-branched, densely-foliaged large shrub or tree with sprays of large white flowers with a red centre.

Kunzea aristulata is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It is an erect, spreading shrub similar to Kunzea rupestris but is distinguished from it mainly by the shape of its leaves. It is only known from a remote area north of Yerranderie where it often grows on cliff edges.

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

Kunzea salterae, also known by the Maori name moutohora kanuka, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Moutohora Island in New Zealand. It is a much-branched shrub or small spreading tree with needle-like leaves, sprays of white flowers and small cup-shaped or urn-shaped fruit.

References

  1. "Approved Conservation advice for Kunzea rupestris" (PDF). Commonwealth Government. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  2. "Kunzea rupestris". PlantNET - NSW Flora Online, author Peter G. Wilson. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  3. 1 2 Les Robinson – Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, ISBN   978-0-7318-1211-0 page 51
  4. "RESEARCH ARTICLE - Contents Vol 53(4) "Differential seed ecology in the shrubs Kunzea rupestris, K. capitata and associated hybrids (Myrtaceae): the function of thin-walled fruit in a fire-prone vegetation". authors, David A. Tierney & Glenda M. Wardle" . Retrieved 2016-10-24.