Leptospermum argenteum

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Mt Royal tea-tree
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Leptospermum
Species:
L. argenteum
Binomial name
Leptospermum argenteum
Leptospermum argenteumDistA4.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Leptospermum argenteum, commonly known as the Mt Royal tea-tree, [2] is a species of shrub that is endemic to the higher parts of Barrington Tops in New South Wales. It has smooth bark, stems with a flange along the sides, broad leaves, white flowers and unlike many others in the genus, it is never lemon-scented.

Contents

Description

Leptospermum argenteum is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 7 m (23 ft) and is never lemon-scented. It has smooth bark that is shed in strips or flakes. Young stems are densely hairy at first and have a conspicuous flange, especially near the base of the leaves. The leaves are broadly egg-shaped to elliptical, 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long and 2.5–7.5 mm (0.098–0.295 in) wide with a short petiole. The flowers are usually borne singly in leaf axils and are 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) in diameter on a densely hairy pedicel about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. The floral cup is glabrous and 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long. The sepals are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and broadly egg-shaped to almost spherical and fall off as the flower develops. The petals 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and white. The stamens are 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long and bundled into groups of about five. Flowering mainly occurs in January and the fruit is a woody capsule 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) in diameter. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Leptospermum argenteum was first formally described in 1989 by Joy Thompson in the journal Telopea . [4] [5] The specific epithet (argenteum) is from Latin argenteus, meaning "silvery in colour", [6] referring to the colour of the new growth. [4]

Distribution and habitat

Mt Royal tea-tree grows in forest and woodland, along streams and in swamps in the Barrington Tops area, including the Barrington Tops and Mount Royal National Parks and the Stewarts Brook State Forest. [2] [4]

Related Research Articles

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Leptospermum recurvum is a species of shrub or tree that is endemic to Mount Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo. It has pale, flaky bark, broadly elliptical to almost round leaves, white flowers about 12 mm (0.47 in) wide and fruit that tend to remain on the plant for a year or two.

<i>Leptospermum petersonii</i> species of plant

Leptospermum petersonii, commonly known as lemon-scented teatree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has thin, fibrous or flaky bark, often strongly-scented elliptic to lance-shaped leaves, white flowers and fruit that are retained for several years. It is commonly grown as an ornamental and is regarded as a minor environmental weed in some areas.

<i>Leptospermum liversidgei</i> species of plant

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<i>Leptospermum grandifolium</i> species of plant

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<i>Leptospermum continentale</i> Species of plant

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<i>Leptospermum polygalifolium</i> species of plant

Leptospermum polygalifolium, commonly known as tantoon, jellybush or yellow tea tree, is a species of shrub or tree of the family Myrtaceae that is endemic to eastern Australia, including Lord Howe Island. It has thin bark, elliptical leaves, white flowers arranged singly on short side shoots and fruit that remain on the plant for a few years.

<i>Leptospermum morrisonii</i> species of plant

Leptospermum morrisonii is a shrub or small tree that is endemic to New South Wales. It has strongly aromatic, elliptical to lance-shaped or curved leaves, white or greenish white flowers and fruit that remain on the plant. It occurs in the south-east of the state.

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

Leptospermum 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.

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

Leptospermum 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.

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

Leptospermum brachyandrum is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth bark, linear to lance-shaped leaves and white flowers and usually grows along creeks, often in water.

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

Leptospermum 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.

Leptospermum gregarium is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. Its young stems are hairy the leaves are egg-shaped to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, the flowers are white and arranged singly or in pairs on short side branches and the fruit remain on the plant at maturity. It usually grows in dense stands in swamps or along rocky creeks in high altitude place in northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.

Leptospermum 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.

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

Leptospermum myrtifolium, commonly known as the myrtle tea-tree or grey tea-tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south eastern Australia. It has broad egg-shaped to elliptical leaves, white flowers usually borne singly on short side shoots, and fruit that remains on the plant until it dies.

Leptospermum petraeum is a rigid, spreading plant that is endemic to a restricted area of New South Wales. It has thin, flaky bark, young stems that are hairy at first, aromatic, elliptical leaves, relatively large white flowers and fruit that remain on the plant until it dies.

Leptospermum 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.

<i>Leptospermum purpurascens</i> species of plant

Leptospermum 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.

<i>Leptospermum sejunctum</i>

Leptospermum sejunctum is a shrub that is endemic to the Nowra district in New South Wales. It has thin, grey bark, lance-shaped to elliptical leaves, white flowers and fruit that remain on the plant at maturity.

<i>Leptospermum semibaccatum</i> species of plant

Leptospermum semibaccatum is a species of low, dense shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has egg-shaped to narrow elliptical leaves with a blut 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.

References

  1. "Leptospermum argenteum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Bell, Stephen; Rockley, Christine; Llewellyn, Anne (2019). Flora of the Hunter Region : Endemic trees and larger shrubs. Clayton South, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. pp. 88–89. ISBN   9781486311040.
  3. "Leptospermum argenteum". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Thompson, Joy (1989). "A revision of the genus Leptospermum (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 3 (3): 413–414.
  5. "Leptospermum argenteum". APNI. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  6. William T. Stearn (1992). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 371.