Leptospermum oreophilum

Last updated

Rock tea tree
Leptospermum oreophilum.jpg
Leptospermum oreophilum near Beerwah
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Leptospermum
Species:
L. oreophilum
Binomial name
Leptospermum oreophilum

Leptospermum oreophilum, commonly known as the rock tea tree, [1] is a shrub that is endemic to the Glass House Mountains in southern Queensland. It has firm, rough bark on the older stems, elliptical leaves with a short, blunt point on the tip, relatively large white flowers arranged singly on side shoots and fruit that remains on the plant until it dies.

Contents

Description

Leptospermum oreophilum is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–2.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 8 ft 2 in) with firm, rough bark on the older stems. Younger stems have minute hairs and a flange near the leaf base. The leaves are elliptical, silky-hairy at first, 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide with a short, blunt tip and tapering at the base but without a petiole. The flowers are borne singly on side shoots and are white and 12–20 mm (0.47–0.79 in) wide. The floral cup is 2.5–4 mm (0.098–0.157 in) long and the sepals are glabrous, almost round and about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The petals are 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long and the stamens are about 5 mm (0.20 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs from September to December and the fruit is a capsule 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) in diameter and that remains on the plant at maturity, the remains of the sepals having fallen off. [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Leptospermum oreophilum was first formally described in 1989 by Joy Thompson in the journal Telopea . [3] [4] The specific epithet (oreophilum) is derived from ancient Greek, meaning "mountain-loving", referring to the mountain-top habit of this species. [3] [5]

Distribution and habitat

This tea-tree grows in shallow soil in rocky places on the Glass House Mountains. [3]

Conservation status

This species is classified as "vulnerable" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992 . [1]

Related Research Articles

<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 turbinatum</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum turbinatum, commonly known as shiny tea-tree, is a species of spreading shrub that is endemic to the Grampians and nearby ranges in Victoria, Australia. It has thin, rough bark, elliptical to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, relatively large white flowers and fruit that remains on the plant at maturity.

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

Leptospermum inelegans is a species of straggly shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has only partly hairy young stems, egg-shaped to narrow elliptical leaves on a short petiole, relatively small white or pink flowers and fruit that fall from the plant when mature.

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

Leptospermum deanei, commonly known as Deane's tea-tree, is a species of rare, slender shrub that is endemic to the northern suburbs of Sydney. It has bark peeling in long strips from the older stems, hairy young stems, narrow elliptical to lance-shaped leaves, white flowers arranged singly on short side shoots and mostly glabrous fruit.

<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.

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

Leptospermum crassifolium is a species of shrub that is endemic to the Budawang Range in New South Wales. It has thin, rough bark that is shed annually, broadly elliptic leaves, white flowers borne singly on short side branches, and woody fruit.

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

Leptospermum lamellatum is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to inland Queensland and has distinctive reddish, layered bark. It has narrow elliptical leaves, white flowers and small fruit that fall from the plant when mature.

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 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 neglectum</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum neglectum is a shrub or small tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has elliptical leaves that are silky-hairy at first, white flowers on short shoots in leaf axils and fruit with the remnants of the sepals attached but that fall from the plant shortly after the seeds are released.

<i>Leptospermum novae-angliae</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum novae-angliae is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has elliptical leaves that are usually crowded, single white flowers on short shoots and fruit that remain on the plant until it dies. It usually grows in rocky places.

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

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 shrub

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.

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

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> Species of shrub

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 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.

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

Leptospermum sericatum is a species of erect shrub that is endemic to Queensland. It has thin, firm bark, narrow egg-shaped to elliptical leaves, white or pink flowers arranged usually singly on side shoots and fruit that falls from the plant when the seeds are released.

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

Leptospermum subglabratum is a species of open shrub that is endemic to a south-eastern New South Wales. It has thin, rough bark, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers arranged singly on short side shoots and relatively small fruit that falls from the plant at maturity.

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

Leptospermum thompsonii, commonly known as the monga tea-tree, is a species of tall shrub that is endemic to south eastern New South Wales. It has rough, flaky bark, broadly elliptical to egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and a sharply-pointed tip, white flowers and fruit that remains on the plant at maturity.

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

Leptospermum variabile is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has thin, rough or scaly bark, broadly elliptical to lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers arranged singly on the ends of short side branches, and woody fruit that remains on the plant when mature.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Species profile—Leptospermum oreophilum". Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  2. "Leptospermum oreophilum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Thompson, Joy (1989). "A revision of the genus Leptospermum (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 3 (3): 404–405.
  4. "Leptospermum oreophilum". APNI. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  5. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 267. ISBN   9780958034180.