''Baeckea diosmifolia'', commonly known as fringed baeckea, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

and is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to eastern Australia. It is a shrub with lance-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, and white flowers with seven to nine

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

Description

''Baeckea diosmifolia'' is a shrub that typically grows to a height of up to . Its leaves are lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long, wide on a petiole about long. The flowers are up to wide and more or less

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

with linear to lance-shaped bracteoles long, but that fall off as the flower opens. The five

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s are long, the five petals are white, more or less round and long, there are seven to nine stamens and the style is about long. Flowering mainly occurs from December to May and the fruit is about in diameter.Les Robinson - ''Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney'', page 25

Taxonomy

''Baeckea diosmifolia'' was first formally described in 1807 by

Edward Rudge Edward Rudge (27 June 1763 – 1846) was an English botanist and antiquary. Life He was the son of Edward Rudge, a merchant and alderman of Salisbury, who possessed a large portion of the abbey estate at Evesham. He matriculated from Queen's ...

in '' Transactions of the Linnean Society of London''. The specific epithet (''diosmifolia'') means "''

Diosma ''Diosma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, native to Cape Provinces of South Africa. The genus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Species , Plants of the World Online accepted the following species: *'' Diosma ...

''-leaved".Les Robinson - ''Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney'', page 25

Distribution and habitat

This baeckea grows in wet heathland along the coast and nearby tablelands of New South Wales as far south as the

Budawang Range The Budawang Range, commonly called The Budawangs, a rugged mountain range within the Budawang National Park and the Morton National Park, are part of a spur off the Great Dividing Range and are located in the South Coast region of New South Wal ...

and as far inland as the Goulburn River. It is only known from a single population near Crows Nest in Queensland, although there are old records from

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

suburbs.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15395952 Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland brevifolia Plants described in 1807 Taxa named by Edward Rudge