Leptospermum rotundifolium

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Round leaf tea-tree
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Leptospermum rotundifolium
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Leptospermum
Species:
L. rotundifolium
Binomial name
Leptospermum rotundifolium
(Maiden & Betche) F.A.Rodway [1]

Leptospermum rotundifolium, commonly known as round-leaved tea tree, [2] is a species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to New South Wales, naturalised in Victoria and Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with more or less circular leaves but with a small point on the tip, and relatively large pink or white flowers.

Contents

Description

Leptospermum rotundifolium is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The bark on mature specimens is gnarled and slightly flaky. The leaves are thick, more or less circular with a small, blunt point on the tip, mostly 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and wide on a petiole about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. They are smooth and slightly shiny and give off an aromatic perfume when bruised. The flowers are borne singly, 25–30 mm (0.98–1.18 in) in diameter and are sessile, the sepals 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long, the petals 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long and white or pink. Flowering occurs from October to December and the fruit are hemispherical and mostly 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) in diameter. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

This tea-tree was first formally described in 1900 by Joseph Maiden and Ernst Betche who gave it the name Leptospermum scoparium var. rotundifolium in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales from specimens collected south of the Shoalhaven River in 1900. [6] [7]

In 1919, Edwin Cheel published a paper in the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales [8] crediting Frederick Arthur Rodway with raising the variety to species status as Leptospermum rotundifolium. [9]

Distribution and habitat

Leptospermum rotundifolium grows in rocky places in shrubby heath or forest from near Sydney to Nerriga in near-coastal areas of New South Wales. It has also been naturalised in a small area in the Shire of Manjimup in south-western Western Australia [10] and was recorded once in eastern Victoria. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Leptospermum scoparium</i> Species of flowering plant

Leptospermum scoparium, commonly called mānuka, mānuka myrtle, New Zealand teatree, broom tea-tree, or just tea tree, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to New Zealand and south-east Australia. Its nectar produces Mānuka honey.

<i>Leptospermum</i> Genus of shrubs

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.

<i>Melaleuca alternifolia</i> Species of tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae

Melaleuca alternifolia, commonly known as tea tree, is a species of tree or tall shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Endemic to Australia, it occurs in southeast Queensland and the north coast and adjacent ranges of New South Wales where it grows along streams and on swampy flats, and is often the dominant species where it occurs.

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

Leptospermum laevigatum, commonly known as the coast tea tree, is a species of shrub or small tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia, but has been widely introduced in other places where it is often considered to be a weed. It has thin, rough bark on the older stems, narrow egg-shaped leaves, relatively large white flowers and flat topped fruit that is shed shortly after reaching maturity.

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

Leptospermum liversidgei, commonly known as the olive tea-tree, 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.

<i>Phebalium stenophyllum</i> Species of shrub

Phebalium stenophyllum, commonly known as narrow-leaved phebalium, is a species of small shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has scaly branchlets, narrow oblong to more or less cylindrical leaves and yellow flowers in umbels of three to ten.

<i>Phebalium nottii</i> Species of shrub

Phebalium nottii, commonly known as pink phebalium, is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has branchlets with silvery scales, oblong to elliptical leaves, deep pink to mauve flowers arranged in umbels of up to six, with the stamens distinctively offset to one side of the flower.

<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>Homoranthus darwinioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Homoranthus darwinioides, commonly known as fairy bells, is a species of flowering plant in the family, Myrtaceae. It is a small, spreading shrub with pendulous yellow and pink flowers, grey-green leaves and is endemic to New South Wales.

<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 macrocarpum</i> Australian species of plant

Leptospermum macrocarpum is a species of shrub that is endemic to the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. It has thin, hard, sometimes gnarled bark on the older stems, broadly elliptical leaves, relatively large white, pink or dark red flowers and large fruit.

<i>Goodenia dimorpha</i> Species of flowering plant

Goodenia dimorpha is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to the Sydney region. It is an erect herb with adventitious roots, linear to egg-shaped leaves, mostly at the base of the plant, and panicles of yellow flowers.

<i>Epacris sprengelioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Epacris sprengelioides is a species of flowering plant in the family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. It is an erect shrub with shaggy-hairy branchlets, more or less erect, narrowly elliptic leaves, and white or cream-coloured, tube-shaped flowers.

<i>Leptospermum epacridoideum</i> Species of flowering plant

Leptospermum epacridoideum is a species of plant that is endemic to a restricted area of the South Coast of New South Wales. It is a bushy shrub with compact bark, elliptical to more or less circular leaves, white flowers arranged singly on short axillary side shoots, and woody fruit.

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 minutifolium</i> Species of shrub


Leptospermum minutifolium, commonly known as the small-leaved tea-tree, is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has relatively small egg-shaped leaves, white flowers borne singly on the ends of branches and fruit that remains on the plant.

<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 sphaerocarpum</i> Species of shrub

Leptospermum sphaerocarpum is a species of shrub that is endemic to New South Wales. It has thin, firm bark, elliptical, sharply-pointed leaves, greenish white or pink flowers and fruit that remain on the plant at maturity.

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

Leptospermum whitei is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has fibrous, flaky bark, elliptical leaves, white flowers arranged in small groups on the ends of short side branches, and fruit that falls from the plant when mature.

Frederick Arthur Rodway was an Australian physician, botanist, and plant collector. He collected spermatophytes in New South Wales and Western Australia.

References

  1. "Leptospermum rotundifolium". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Leptospermum rotundifolium Round-leaved Tea Tree". Australian National Botanic Gardens. 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  3. "Leptospermum rotundifolium". Australian Native Plant Society. February 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  4. 1 2 Messina, Andre; Ohlsen, Daniel. "Leptospermum rotundifolium". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  5. "Leptospermum rotundifolium (Maiden & Betche) F.Rodway". PlantNet. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  6. "Leptospermum scoparium var. rotundifolium". APNI. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  7. Maiden, Joseph; Betche, Ernst (1900). "Notes from the Botanic Gardens, Sydney". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 25 (1): 101. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  8. Cheel, Edwin (1919). "Three new species of Leptospermum". Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 53: 122. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  9. "Leptospermum rotundifolium". APNI. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  10. "Leptospermum rotundifolium". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.