Micromyrtus grandis

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Micromyrtus grandis
Micromyrtus grandis.jpg
In the Australian National Botanic Gardens
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Micromyrtus
Species:
M. grandis
Binomial name
Micromyrtus grandis

Micromyrtus grandis, commonly known as Severn River heath-myrtle, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family. It is an upright, monoecious shrub with egg-shaped, oval or elliptic leaves arranged in opposite pairs and white to cream-coloured flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

Contents

Description

Micromyrtus grandis grows as a monoecious shrub with an erect habit, usually reaching 1–4 m (3 ft 3 in – 13 ft 1 in) tall. The orange bark is stringy and shed in ribbons, which frequently curl. The leaves are 0.5–4.1 mm (0.020–0.161 in) long by 0.6–1.4 mm (0.024–0.055 in) wide. When held up to the light, their oil dots can be clearly seen in the leaf blade. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils on a peduncle 0.3–1.6 mm (0.012–0.063 in) long, with 2 bracteoles 0.7–0.9 mm (0.028–0.035 in) long at the base. The 5 petal-like sepals are 0.1–1.3 mm (0.0039–0.0512 in) wide and the 5 petals white to cream-coloured, 0.5–1.2 mm (0.020–0.047 in) long. There are 5 stamens, the filaments 0.1–0.3 mm (0.0039–0.0118 in) long and the style is 0.1–0.5 mm (0.0039–0.0197 in) long. Flowering occurs from July to September and the fruit is a brown nut 0.9–1.6 mm (0.035–0.063 in) long. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

John T. Hunter described Micromyrtus grandis in 1996, after coming across a colony of Micromyrtus on a porphyritic ridge that did not correspond to any known species. The description was first published in the journal Telopea from specimens collected in the Severn River Nature Reserve in northern New South Wales. Hunter gave it the species name grandis as it was the largest known species in the genus. [3] [6]

Distribution and habitat

Micromyrtus grandis is found along one long ridge at an altitude of 600 to 750 m (1,970 to 2,460 ft) in the Severn River Nature Reserve and adjoining private farmland. [3] It grows in exposed locations in heath and open woodland, associated with such species as narrow-leaved ironbark ( Eucalyptus crebra ), stringybark she-oak ( Allocasuarina inophloia ), Acacia pubifolia , Johnson's grasstree ( Xanthorrhoea johnsonii ), and heath species Leptospermum novae-angliae , Micromyrtus sessilis and Leucopogon neoanglicus . [2]

Conservation status

Severn River heath-myrtle is listed as "endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 . [2] [4]

Cultivation

Micromyrtus grandis has been cultivated at the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra since 1998, proving hardy and easy to grow, and can be propagated by seed or cutting. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Micromyrtus</i> Genus of shrubs

Micromyrtus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Micromyrtus are shrubs with simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and white, pink or yellow flowers arranged in upper leaf axils, the flowers with five sepals five petals and five or ten stamens.

<i>Micromyrtus ciliata</i> Species of plant

Micromyrtus ciliata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a spreading to erect shrub with crowded, oblong to egg-shaped leaves and small white or pink flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils, forming clusters on the ends of branches.

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

Baeckea imbricata, commonly known as heath myrtle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with elliptical to egg-shaped or round leaves and small white flowers with five to twelve stamens.

<i>Micromyrtus sessilis</i> Species of shrub

Micromyrtus sessilis is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dense, spreading shrub with small, more or less linear leaves and flowers that are sometimes single in the upper leaf axils or in dense clusters along the branches. It is similar to M. ciliata but has a more northerly distribution.

<i>Boronia boliviensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Boronia boliviensis, commonly known as Bolivia Hill boronia is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to a small area on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. It is a strongly scented shrub with pinnate leaves, deep pink flowers in spring and with its young branches covered with fine, yellow hairs. It is only known from higher parts of the Bolivia Range where it grows on granite outcrops.

Micromyrtus barbata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small, overlapping, narrowly egg-shaped leaves and small white flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils.

Micromyrtus fimbrisepala is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to inland Australia. It is a shrub with overlapping, broadly elliptic to more or less round leaves and small pink flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils.

<i>Micromyrtus flaviflora</i> Species of shrub

Micromyrtus flaviflora is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Australia. It is an erect shrub with overlapping, keeled, oblong leaves, and yellow flowers arranged singly in leaf axils, but often appearing clustered.

<i>Styphelia clelandii</i> Species of plant

Styphelia clelandii, commonly known as Cleland's bearded-heath, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south-east of continental Australia. It is weak, open shrub with broadly egg-shaped leaves and white flowers arranged singly or in pairs in leaf axils near the ends of the branches.

Micromyrtus albicans is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of south-eastern Queensland. It is a slender shrub with overlapping, egg-shaped leaves and small white flowers.

<i>Styphelia capillaris</i> Species of plant

Styphelia capillaris, commonly known as Horts' styphelia, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to a small area of south-western Western Australia. It is a dense, spreading shrub with narrowly egg-shaped to narrowly elliptic leaves and white flowers arranged singly or in pairs in leaf axils.

Micromyrtus capricornia is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of central eastern Queensland. It is a shrub with slightly drooping branchlets, overlapping, narrowly egg-shaped leaves and small white flowers.

Micromyrtus carinata is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of south-eastern Queensland. It is a slender shrub with drooping branchlets, overlapping, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves and small white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

Stachystemon mucronatus is a species of flowering plant in the family Picrodendraceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact, monoecious shrub with narrowly oblong or narrowly elliptic leaves and small, greenish yellow flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils.

<i>Pseudanthus orientalis</i> Species of shrub

Pseudanthus orientalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Picrodendraceae and is endemic to the coast of eastern Australia. It is a compact, rigid, monoecious shrub with simple, linear to narrowly oblong leaves and yellow to creamy-white flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils, but often appearing clustered on the ends of branches.

<i>Pseudanthus ovalifolius</i> Species of shrub

Pseudanthus ovalifolius, commonly known as oval-leaf pseudanthus, is a species of flowering plant in the family Picrodendraceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a spreading to compact, wiry, monoecious shrub with oval leaves and whitish flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils, but sometimes appearing clustered on the ends of branches.

<i>Micromyrtus delicata</i> Species of shrub

Micromyrtus delicata is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of northern coastal Queensland. It is a shrub with overlapping, linear to narrowly egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and small white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.

Stachystemon virgatus is a species of flowering plant in the family Picrodendraceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a compact monoecious shrub with elliptic or narrowly oblong leaves and small yellow flowers arranged singly in upper leaf axils.

Micromyrtus forsteri is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of north Queensland. It is a shrub with overlapping, linear to egg-shaped leaves and small white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils with 10 stamens in each flower.

Micromyrtus gracilis is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to central Queensland. It is a slender shrub with overlapping, egg-shaped leaves and white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils with 5 stamens in each flower.

References

  1. ↑ "Micromyrtus grandis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Severn River Heath-myrtle - profile". New South WEales Government, Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Hunter, John T.; Quinn, Francis T.; Bruhl, Jeremy J. (1996). "Micromyrtus grandis (Myrtaceae), a new species from New South Wales". Telopea. 7 (1): 77–81. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 Wilson, Peter G. "Micromyrtus grandis". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 Jalaluddin, Susan. "Micromyrtus grandis". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Micromyrtus grandis". APNI. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
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