LeptospermumLeptospermum continentale (Prickly Tea-Tree) Leptospermum laevigatum (Australian Tea Tree)
Leptospermum laevigatum, is commonly known as the Coast Tea Tree and the Australian Tea Tree. It is a shrub to small tree that is endemic to select part of south-eastern Australia, but has been widely introduced in other locations where it is often considered to be a weed.
The Leptospermum laevigatum is salt-resistant plant that is very hardy, and can grow to a height of between 1.5 to 6 m. It has thin, rough bark on the older stems, narrow egg-shaped leaves, relatively large white flowers and flat topped fruit that shed shortly after reaching maturity.
This species is not naturally occurring at this location (in Bermagui), although it is at Green Cape in Bega Valley Shire, with then a big distribution gap to about Ulladulla, which is rapidly being obscured by ill-advised coastal plantings, which then naturalise.2
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Charophyta
- Class: Equisetopsida
- Subclass: Magnoliidae
- Superorder: Rosanae
- Order: Myrtales
- Family: Myrtaceae
- Genus: Leptospermum
- Species: Leptospermum laevigatum
Footnote & References
- Australian Tea Tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) © Deb Taylor
- Australian Tea Tree (Leptospermum laevigatum), debtaylor142, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/139228181
- Leptospermum continentale Joy Thomps., Prickly Teatree, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://id.biodiversity.org.au/node/apni/2917147
LeptospermumLeptospermum continentale (Prickly Tea-Tree) Leptospermum laevigatum (Australian Tea Tree)
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