''Baeckea linifolia'', commonly known as swamp baeckea, weeping baeckea or flax-leaf heath myrtle, 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 spe ...

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 els ...

to eastern Australia. It is an erect shrub with linear leaves and small white flowers with eight to fifteen

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 filam ...

Description

''Baeckea linifolia'' is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of and has branches with drooping tips. The leaves are linear to more or less cylindrical, long and taper at both ends. The flowers are up to wide and arranged singly in leaf axils, each flower on a

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long with two linear

bracteoles In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...

at the base, but that fall off as the flower opens. The

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 ...

lobes are triangular and the petals are egg-shaped, white and long. There are eight to fifteen stamens with curved filaments, none of which is opposite the petals. The flat-topped

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the bod ...

has two cells. Flowering occurs in most months, especially in spring and summer, and the fruit is a cup-like capsule about in diameter, containing angular seeds.

Taxonomy and naming

''Baeckea linifolia'' 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 Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature coll ...

'' from a specimen collected "near

Port Jackson Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman ...

". The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

(''linifolia'') is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power ...

words ''linum'' ("flax") and ''folium'' ("leaf"), giving a compound Latin adjective which describes the plant as having leaves like those of

flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known i ...

Distribution and habitat

Swamp baeckea grows in heath in damp places, often near waterfalls and gullies and is found along the coast and adjacent ranges from south-east Queensland through New South Wales to the

Cann River The Cann River is a perennial river located in the East Gippsland region of the Australian state of Victoria. Course and features The Cann River rises southwest of Granite Mountain in remote country on the eastern boundary of the Errinundr ...

in north-eastern Victoria where it is rare. Victorian plants typically have smaller, more rigid leaves in comparison with plants found in New South Wales and Queensland, and were previously included in ''Baeckea linifolia'' var. ''brevifolia''

F.Muell. Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vic ...

Benth. George Bentham (22 September 1800 – 10 September 1884) was an English botanist, described by the weed botanist Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century". Born into a distinguished family, he initially studie ...

Use in horticulture

This baeckea is reasonably well known in gardens and is a hardy plant in well-drained soil in a sunny or part-shaped situation. Once established it is moderately frost- and drought-tolerant.

References

External links

''Baeckea linifolia'' Occurrence data from the Australasian Virtual Herbarium
*{{commonscat inline, Baeckea linifolia Flora of New South Wales linifolia Flora of Queensland Flora of Victoria (Australia) Taxa named by Edward Rudge Plants described in 1807