Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. montanum

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Mountain tea tree
Tia River & myrtle.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Leptospermum
Species:
Subspecies:
L. p. subsp. montanum
Trinomial name
Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. montanum
Synonyms

Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. montanum known as the mountain tea tree or tantoon is a shrub or small tree found in eastern Australia. The original specimen was collected in 1912 near Yarrowitch. This plant is a sub-species of the Tantoon of the Myrtle family. It resembles other plants commonly referred to as "tea trees" or "paperbarks". The sub-species term montanum refers to its habitat of high altitudes. Polygalifolium is derived from Latin, referring to the resemblance of the leaves to certain members of the Polygala.

Contents

Habitat

It grows at the heads of mountain streams, or in rocky areas within crevices with shallow soils, often derived from granite or basalt. Usually seen in relatively fire free areas at high altitude in rainforests or rainforest margins north of the Barrington Tops region. [1] The most northerly recording is at Mount Cordeaux.

Description

Usually seen as a shrub, one to seven metres tall. Though at Mount Hyland Nature Reserve it grows to 25 metres tall and a stem diameter of 56 cm. [2] The trunk is not regular, with vertical flutings, particularly near the base. Bark is papery on older trees, greyish or pale brown. New branchlets are thin with soft silky hairs. Leaves are alternate on the stem, 10 to 15 mm long, 3 to 5 mm wide, usually with a blunt point. Leaf margins curl over, dark green above, paler below the leaf. Silky hairs appear on the young leaves. Leaves are reverse lanceolate to elliptic in shape. Leaf stems short or indistinct. Oil dots easily noticed under a lens. Only the midrib is visible on the bottom surface of the leaf.

Single white flowers form from October to January, 12 mm in diameter. The hypanthium is around 3.5 mm long, the sepals around 2 mm long. The fruit is a grey hemispherical capsule with a flat base, 6 to 9 mm in diameter. The capsule stalk is 2 to 3 mm long. When opening, the capsule reveals five widely spreading valves. Fruit matures from October to April.

Related Research Articles

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Leptospermum is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae commonly known as tea trees, although this name is sometimes also used for some species of Melaleuca. Most species are endemic to Australia, with the greatest diversity in the south of the continent, but some are native to other parts of the world, including New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Leptospermums all have five conspicuous petals and five groups of stamens which alternate with the petals. There is a single style in the centre of the flower and the fruit is a woody capsule.

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<i>Leptospermum lanigerum</i>

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<i>Daphnandra johnsonii</i> Species of tree

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<i>Endiandra muelleri</i> Species of tree

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<i>Cupaniopsis newmanii</i> Species of tree

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<i>Decaspermum humile</i> Species of tree

Decaspermum humile, commonly known as the silky myrtle, is a tree from Australia and Asia. It can be used as bush food, as indicated by the alternate common name of currant myrtle. The tree features an attractive dark glossy crown. The new pink leaves with silvery hairs are particularly appealing.

<i>Corynocarpus rupestris</i>

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<i>Leptospermum jingera</i>

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>

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.

Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. howense, commonly known as tea tree or tea-tree, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The subspecific epithet refers to the island to which the subspecies is endemic.

<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 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 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>

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.

Leptospermum oreophilum, commonly known as the rock tea tree, 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.

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>

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 polygalifolium <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> cismontanum</i>

Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. cismontanum, commonly known as tantoon, is a subspecies of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to near-coastal areas of eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with elliptical leaves and white flowers in spring.

References

  1. "Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. montanum Joy Thomps". Plant Net - NSW Flora Online. NSW Government. Retrieved August 16, 2012.
  2. Floyd, A. G. (2008). Rainforest Trees of Mainland South-eastern Australia (2nd, Revised ed.). Lismore, New South Wales: Terania Rainforest Publishing. p. 248. ISBN   978-0-958943-67-3 . Retrieved 2012-08-14.