Leptospermum liversidgei

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Olive tea-tree
Leptospermum liversidgei.jpg
Leptospermum liversidgei in Maranoa Gardens
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Leptospermum
Species:
L. liversidgei
Binomial name
Leptospermum liversidgei
Leptospermum liversidgeiDistA36.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]
  • Leptospermum flavescens var. citriodorum F.M.Bailey
  • Leptospermum polygalifolium var. citriodorum(F.M.Bailey) Domin

Leptospermum liversidgei, commonly known as the olive tea-tree, [2] is a species of compact shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has narrow egg-shaped, lemon-scented leaves, white or pink flowers and woody fruit that remain on the plant at maturity.

Contents

Description

Leptospermum liversidgei is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 4 m (13 ft) and has thin, rough bark on the main branches and hairy young stems. The leaves are crowded, narrow egg-shaped and lemon-scented, mostly 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) wide on a very short petiole. The flowers are white or pink, 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in) wide on a pedicel 1–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long, arranged singly on the ends of short, leafless side branches. The floral cup is dark coloured, about 2.5 mm (0.098 in) long, the sepals hemispherical to triangular, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the petals about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and the stamens 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs in January and the fruit is a woody capsule 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) wide and that is not shed when mature. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Leptospermum liversidgei was first formally described in 1905 by Richard Thomas Baker and Henry George Smith in the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales . [4] [5] The specific epithet (liversidgei) honours Archibald Liversidge. [6]

Distribution and habitat

Olive tea-tree occurs in coastal swamps between the Bundaberg region of Queensland and Tomago in New South Wales where it grows in heath. [2] [3]

Use in horticulture

The size of this tea-tree makes it suitable for smaller gardens where it will tolerate poorly-drained soil and at least moderate frost. The leaves contain the essential oil citronellal and the plant is sometimes alleged to repel mosquitoes. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

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 trinervium</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum 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.

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

Leptospermum continentale, commonly known as prickly tea-tree, is a species of slender, straggling shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has sharp-pointed, narrowly egg-shaped leaves, white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils and woody fruit that remains on the plant when mature.

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

Leptospermum jingera, commonly known as the stringybark tea-tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to Victoria, Australia. It has papery bark on the larger branches, smooth bark on the younger stems, narrow egg-shaped to elliptical leaves, white flowers and silky-hairy, hemispherical fruit.

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

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 juniperinum</i> Species of plant

Leptospermum juniperinum, commonly known as the prickly tea tree, is a species of broom-like shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has narrow, sharply pointed leaves, white flowers usually arranged singly on short side shoots and small fruit that remain on the plant when mature.

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

Leptospermum 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.

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

Leptospermum incanum is a species of compact shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hairy young stems, elongated egg-shaped leaves on a short petiole, relatively large white or pink flowers and fruit that fall from the plant when mature.

Leptospermum roei is a species of spreading shrub that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has thin, fibrous bark, long egg-shaped to narrow wedge-shaped leaves, white or pink flowers and small fruit that are shed with the seeds.

Boronia citrata, commonly known as lemon boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It is an erect, woody shrub with pinnate, strongly lemon-scented leaves and pale pink to rosy pink, four-petalled flowers arranged in groups of up to five.

<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 multicaule</i> Australian species of plant

Leptospermum 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.

<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 argenteum</i> Australian species of plant

Leptospermum argenteum, commonly known as the Mt Royal tea-tree, 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.

<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 divaricatum</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum 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.

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

Leptospermum emarginatum, commonly known as the twin-flower tea-tree or twin flower teatree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough bark on the older stems, lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and a small notch at the tip, white flowers in groups of up to five and hemispherical fruit that falls off when mature.

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

Leptospermum 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.

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

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 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.

References

  1. 1 2 "Leptospermum liversidgei". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Leptospermum liversidgei". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 Thompson, Joy (1989). "A revision of the genus Leptospermum (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 3 (3): 395–396.
  4. "Leptospermum liversidgei". APNI. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  5. Baker, Richard T.; Smith, Henry G. (1905). "On an Undescribed Species of Leptospermum and it Essential Oil". Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 39: 124–130. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Leptospermum liversidgei". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 14 April 2020.