Leptospermum myrsinoides

Last updated

Heath tea-tree
Heath tea-tree Leptospermum myrsinoides (8210275500).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Leptospermum
Species:
L. myrsinoides
Binomial name
Leptospermum myrsinoides
Synonyms [1]
  • Leptospermum myrsinoides var. angustifolium Miq.
  • Leptospermum myrsinoides var. latifoliumMiq.
  • Leptospermum myrsinoidesSchltdl. var. myrsinoides

Leptospermum myrsinoides, commonly known as the heath tea-tree or silky tea-tree, [2] is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has smooth bark on the younger stems, narrow egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers and fruit that has the remains of the sepals attached but usually falls from the plant soon after the seeds are released.

Contents

Description

Leptospermum myrsinoides is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–2.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 8 ft 2 in). The older stems have stems with thin, firm bark and younger stems smooth bark that is hairy at first and later shed in stringy strips. The leaves are linear to narrow egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long and 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide, tapering to a very short petiole. The flowers are usually borne singly, sometimes in pairs on short side shoots, and are white 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) wide and white. There are broad reddish brown bracts at the base of the flower bud but which usually fall off as the flower opens. The floral cup is about 4 mm (0.16 in) long on a very short pedicel and is usually silky-hairy only on the lower half. The sepals are about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long, the petals 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and the stamens less than 1 mm (0.039 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from October to November and the fruit is a hemispherical capsule 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide with the remains of the sepals attached, but which fall from the plant soon after the seeds are released. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Leptospermum myrsinoides was first formally described in 1847 by German botanist Diederich von Schlechtendal in the journal Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. [6] [7]

Distribution and habitat

The heath tea-tree grows in heath and mallee from Eden on the far south coast of New South Wales to the Mount Lofty Ranges and Kangaroo Island and is widespread in Victoria. [2] [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Banksia ornata</i> Species of shrub in the genus Banksia native to South Australia and Victoria

Banksia ornata, commonly known as desert banksia, is a species of shrub that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. The Ngarrindjeri people of the Lower Murray region in South Australia know it as yelakut. It has thin bark, serrated, narrow egg-shaped leaves with the lower end towards the base, cream-coloured flowers in a cylindrical spike, and later, up to fifty follicles in each spike, surrounded by the remains of the flowers.

<i>Acacia retinodes</i> Species of legume

Acacia retinodes is an evergreen shrub that is native to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Short racemes of yellow flowers are produced periodically throughout the year. Some common names are Retinodes water wattle, swamp wattle, wirilda, ever-blooming wattle and silver wattle.

<i>Diuris behrii</i> Species of orchid

Diuris behrii, commonly known as golden cowslips, is a species of orchid which is endemic to eastern Australia. It occurs in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It has between three and six grass-like leaves and a flowering stem with up to four drooping, yellow flowers with dark streaks on the labellum. The flowers appear between September and November in its native range.

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

Eucalyptus odorata, commonly known as peppermint box, is a species of mallee or a small tree that is endemic to South Australia. It has rough, hard bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth greyish bark on the thinner branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and cylindrical or barrel-shaped fruit.

<i>Prostanthera striatiflora</i> Species of plant

Prostanthera striatiflora, commonly known as jockey's cap, striated mintbush or striped mintbush, is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to the more arid areas of Australia. It is an erect, aromatic shrub with narrow egg-shaped to narrow elliptic leaves and white flowers with purple lines inside the petal tube.

<i>Goodenia albiflora</i> Species of plant

Goodenia albiflora, commonly known as white goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to South Australia. It is a small, erect shrub with ridged stems, elliptic to egg-shaped, cauline leaves, racemes of white flowers with leaf-like bracteoles at the base, and oval fruit.

<i>Pimelea hewardiana</i> Species of plant

Pimelea hewardiana, commonly known as forked rice-flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly elliptic leaves and head-like clusters of 7 to 34 unisexual yellow flowers.

Caladenia behrii, commonly known as pink-lipped spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It has a single narrow, hairy leaf and one or two creamy-white flowers with pink tips in early spring.

<i>Caladenia tentaculata</i> Species of orchid

Caladenia tentaculata, commonly known as the eastern mantis orchid, large green-comb, green comb or fringed spider orchid is a plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a ground orchid with a single, hairy leaf and up to three green flowers with red stripes on the sepals and petals.

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

Leptospermum glaucescens, commonly known as the blue-green tea tree or smoky tea tree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has elliptical to egg-shaped leaves that are often greyish green, white flowers about 15 mm (0.59 in) in diameter arranged in consecutive leaf axils and fruit that remain on the plant for some time after maturity.

<i>Prostanthera behriana</i> Species of flowering plant

Prostanthera behriana, commonly known as tall mintbush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-east of South Australia. It is an erect to straggling shrub with egg-shaped leaves and white, pale blue, pale violet or purplish white flowers with red-brown spots or purple streaks inside.

<i>Sarcozona praecox</i> Species of succulent

Sarcozona praecox, commonly known as sarcozona, is species of flowering plant in the family Aizoaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small erect to low-lying, succulent shrub with leaves that are triangular in cross-section and arranged in opposite pairs, and daisy-like flowers with twenty to eighty pink, petal-like staminodes and 20 to 150 stamens.

<i>Goodenia calcarata</i> Species of plant

Goodenia calcarata, commonly known as streaked goodenia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is an erect, annual herb with toothed egg-shaped to oblong leaves, racemes of white, cream-coloured or pink to mauve flowers with brownish markings, and oval fruit.

<i>Goodenia pinnatifida</i> Species of plant

Goodenia pinnatifida, commonly known as cut-leaf goodenia, scrambled eggs or mother ducks, is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and endemic to Australia. It is a low-lying to ascending perennial herb with toothed to pinnatisect leaves, racemes of yellow flowers and more or less spherical fruit.

<i>Triplarina imbricata</i> Species of flowering plant

Triplarina imbricata, commonly known as creek triplarina, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to northern New South Wales. It is a shrub with weeping branches, narrow egg-shaped leaves, and flowers in pairs with five sepals, five relatively small white petals and fourteen to seventeen stamens.

<i>Dampiera rosmarinifolia</i> Species of plant

Dampiera rosmarinifolia, commonly known as rosemary dampiera, is a flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae.It is a perennial subshrub with linear leaves, mauve or purple flowers borne in leaf axils.

<i>Spyridium coactilifolium</i> Species of shrub

Spyridium coactilifolium, commonly known as butterfly spyridium, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae. It has white-velvety flowers and oval shaped leaves that are thickly covered in soft hairs.

Pomaderris flabellaris, commonly known as fan pomaderris, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a low shrub with fan-shaped leaves, and small clusters of woolly-hairy flowers.

<i>Pomaderris helianthemifolia</i> Species of shrub

Pomaderris helianthemifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Rhamnaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a bushy shrub with hairy young stems, narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and small panicles of hairy yellowish flowers.

<i>Olearia brachyphylla</i> Species of plant

Olearia brachyphylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a densely-branched, aromatic shrub with woolly-hairy stems, oblong to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and small white and pale yellow, daisy-like inflorescences.

References

  1. 1 2 "Leptospermum myrsinoides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Leptospermum myrsinoides". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 Thompson, Joy (1989). "A revision of the genus Leptospermum (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 3 (3): 369. doi: 10.7751/telopea19894902 .
  4. 1 2 Lyne, Andrew. "Leptospermum myrsinoides". Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  5. "Leptospermum myrsinoides". South Australian Seed Conservation Centre. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  6. "Leptospermum myrsinoides". APNI. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  7. von Schlechtendal, Diederich (1847). "Sudaustralische Pflanzen. II. Bestimmung und Beschreibung der von Dr Behr in Sudaustralien gesammelten Pflanzen". Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. 20: 653. Retrieved 30 April 2020.