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''Leptospermum lanigerum'', commonly known as the woolly teatree, is a small tree or medium shrub from the plant
family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
''
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 ...
''. Its common name derives from the conspicuously hairy capsules produced as fruit, along with the fine, silky hairs present on branches and leaves. ''L. lanigerum'' is widespread in many habitats, particularly in waterlogged areas such as moist, sandy coastal heaths, on river banks, riparian scrub,
woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...
s and on the fringe of montane grasslands. This species is
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, with native populations occurring in
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
,
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
and
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
. Flowers possess the typical characteristics present within the genus ''
Leptospermum ''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 greate ...
''; five free, white
petals Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''coroll ...
, many
stamens The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...
and five small
sepals 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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...
; although the most distinctive feature is the persistent hairy capsules and the silvery appearance of mature
foliage A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, f ...
. ''L. lanigerum'' is common and widespread throughout
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, occurring both as natural populations and cultivated varieties. This species has been used for many years by
Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...
, and is a popular garden plant today.


Description

This small tree to medium-sized
shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...
is variable in size and shape and present in a number of different forms. Plants can grow as large, spreading or erect shrubs up to high by across, or very compact, columnar shrubs, up to 3 m high and across. ''L. lanigerum'' also grows as a slender tree up to tall in
montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...
habitats in
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
.Wrigley, John & Fagg, Murray 1993, p.198.


Leaves

Leaves are usually alternately arranged along the stem, oblong in shape and with slightly rolled margins. Leaves vary in size from , with new growth usually covered in small, soft, silky hairs. These hairs usually cause the foliage to appear silvery grey, however leaves can vary in colour from silvery grey to dark green, or occasionally possess a glossy upper surface.Wrigley, John & Fagg, Murray 1993, p.199. Like all species 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 ...
, ''L. lanigerum'' leaves are dotted with small oil containing glands, and when crushed emit a strong, characteristic aroma.Wrigley, John & Fagg, Murray 1993, p.2. These oil glands allow for easy identification, and detailed analysis of the oils has assisted in the classification and taxonomy of species within the genus ''
Leptospermum ''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 greate ...
''.


Flowers

''Leptospermum lanigerum'' bears the characteristic flowers present within the genus ''
Leptospermum ''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 greate ...
'': five distinctly separate, white
petals Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''coroll ...
, five small
sepals 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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...
, numerous
stamens The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filamen ...
, along with inferior
ovaries The ovary () is a gonad in the female reproductive system that produces ova; when released, an ovum travels through the fallopian tube/oviduct into the uterus. There is an ovary on the left and the right side of the body. The ovaries are endocr ...
. Receptacles and petals grow small soft hairs, with flowers usually measuring about 18mm in diameter. The stamens usually occur in bundles of seven. Numerous flowers are produced either in late spring, early summer or sporadically throughout the year, situated terminally on short side branches. These flowers are mostly
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
, however ''L. lanigerum'' is an
andromonoecious Andromonoecy is a breeding system of plant species in which male and hermaphrodite flowers are on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system comparable with monoecy, gynomonoecy and trimonoecy. Andromonoecy is frequent among genera with zy ...
species as plants also produce some functionally male flowers.


Fruit

Distinctly hairy when first produced, capsules are usually persistent, each with 4–5 compartments and around in diameter. These capsules are situated singularly on short, terminal side branches, distinguishable from ''
Melaleuca ''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles, bottlebrushes or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They ...
'' spp. whose capsules clasp the stem in distinctive clusters.Howells, Christine 2012, p. 261–269 Encasing seeds in tough, woody capsules provides some protection from damage by predators or insulation from disturbances such as fire. Extreme
desiccation Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container. The ...
or fire is needed, however, to open these capsules, allowing seeds to be released to germinate in the ash enriched seed bed after the first rains following the fire.Wrigley, John & Fagg, Murray 1993, p.16.


Bark

''Leptospermum lanigerum'' has smooth, light brown, fibrous and papery bark that comes away from the trunk in long strips when removed. This bark helps provide some protection to the trunk and epicormic buds from fire, allowing the tree to potentially grow back when burnt. The bark is very similar to other ''Leptospermum'' species.


Taxonomy

This species was first formally described in 1789 by
William Aiton William Aiton (17312 February 1793) was a Scotland, Scottish botanist. Aiton was born near Hamilton, Scotland, Hamilton. Having been regularly trained to the profession of a gardener, he travelled to London in 1754, and became assistant to Phi ...
in ''
Hortus Kewensis (Latin for 'Kew Garden'; abbr. ) is a series of works cataloguing the plant species in cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Background Kew became a favored location for English courtiers ...
'', who gave it the name ''Philadelphus laniger''. In 1797, James Edward Smith transferred the species to the genus ''Leptospermum'' as ''L. lanigerum'' 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 collec ...
''. The
specific epithet In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...
(''lanigerum''), is a
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
word for wool-bearing, describing the silky hairy leaves and hairy buds, shoots and young capsules. The common names for this species, 'woolly tea-tree' or sometimes 'silky tea-tree', are also a result of these distinctive features.


Distribution and habitat

''Leptospermum lanigerum'' is endemic to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, mainly distributed within the south eastern states. Native populations are found in eastern
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
, across
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
and southern
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
, as well as the whole of
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
. Plants are common and widespread, predominantly found in wet, swampy areas and along river banks, sandy coastal heaths or within woodlands. ''L. lanigerum'' is occasionally found growing in cool
temperate rainforest Temperate rainforests are rainforests with coniferous or Broad-leaved tree, broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rainforests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate ...
in western Tasmania, however is a doubtful true rainforest species due to the need for disturbances such as fire to release seed. The hardy nature and preferred habitat of this plant makes it useful in
riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...
restoration and stream bank stabilisation, as they thrive in swampy areas where many other species do not. In Tasmania, ''L. lanigerum'' is a key
swamp forest Freshwater swamp forests, or flooded forests, are forests which are inundated with freshwater, either permanently or seasonally. They normally occur along the lower reaches of rivers and around freshwater lakes. Freshwater swamp forests are foun ...
species. Swamp forests form in flat, poorly drained sites and contain a closed tree canopy made from
sclerophyllous Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...
species of the genera ''
Leptospermum ''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 greate ...
'', ''
Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...
'' and ''
Melaleuca ''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles, bottlebrushes or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They ...
''. In Tasmania, ''L. lanigerum'' forms tall, dense stands, up to 18m in height. In other Australian states, individuals mainly exist as short, thick shrubs. Although this species is mainly present at low altitudes, some individuals also grow among
sub-alpine Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
vegetation and along the edge of montane grasslands.Reid, James B.; Hill, Robert S.; Brown, Michael J. & Hovenden, Mark J. 1999 p.288 ''L. lanigerum'' is an adaptable species able to adjust to varying aspects and soil types, and although prefers wet areas can grow successfully in drier soil.


Ecology


Fire

''L. lanigerum'' has a very specific relationship with fire. Like many other species within 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 ...
, the seeds of ''L. lanigerum'' are encased in woody capsules and often remain on the tree for a number of years after reaching maturity. To be released, capsules must be subjected to fire or some other disturbance. In the days after fire, the ash enriched seed bed along with a little rain provides good conditions for seeds to
germinate Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an flowering plant, angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the sp ...
. The intensity of the fire is important, as too much heat can destroy the seeds as well as the capsules. Trees can also grow back after a fire, due to the
lignotubers A lignotuber is a woody swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem, such as by fire. Other woody plants may develop basal burls as a similar survival strategy, often as a respon ...
and epicormic buds protected by the thick bark. In some cases, where trees are tightly packed, the fire destroys only the main branches leaving the underground portions and protected trunks of the plants to survive. As plants grow back after a fire, other species can take advantage of the light gaps created, leading to a thick mixture of tea-tree, cutting grass and species such as '' Bauera''.


Pollination

''Leptospermum'' species are pollinated by insects, usually beetles. Each flower contains sweet
nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...
within the centre which acts as an attractant to beetles. These beetles then carry
pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...
on all parts of their body, mainly head and legs, to other flowers. The nectar, along with the insects present, also attracts other animals such as birds, making ''Leptospermum'' species and other
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 ...
genera popular garden plants.


Seed dispersal

Seed dispersal In spermatophyte plants, seed dispersal is the movement, spread or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their seeds, including both abiotic vectors, ...
of ''L. lanigerum'' is limited, with seeds usually falling to the ground after fire. Dispersal can also occur through wind or water, or transport by insects such as ants. Ants also act as pre-dispersal seed predators however, destroying the capsules whilst still attached to the plant and eating the seeds. ''L. lanigerum'' is one of the ''Leptospermum'' species most affected by ant predation.


Other symbiotic relationships

Most Myrtaceae species (including the genus ''Leptospermum'') are
mycorrhizal A mycorrhiza (; , mycorrhiza, or mycorrhizas) is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's rhizosphere, the plant root system and its surroundings. Mycorrhizae play ...
, forming relationships with fungi to assist in increasing root surface area for greater uptake in nutrients. The extent to which this relationship exists is unknown however, with little research available.Reid, James B.; Hill, Robert S.; Brown, Michael J. & Hovenden, Mark J. 1999 p.134


Diseases

''Leptospermum lanigerum'' is a potentially highly susceptible host species to the
pathogen In biology, a pathogen (, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of"), in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a Germ theory of d ...
''
Phytophthora ramorum ''Phytophthora ramorum'' is the oomycete known to cause the disease sudden oak death (SOD). The disease kills oak and other species of trees and has had devastating effects on the oak populations in California and Oregon, as well as being present ...
''. This pathogen currently causes widespread damage to gardens, nurseries and natural habitats in
America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, and although is not currently present in Australia, has been identified as a potential problem that may have widespread effects throughout Australia in the future. A number of insects also act as pests and
parasites Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The en ...
. The Webbing Caterpillar causes damage to many young ''Leptospermum'' species, using webbing to matt the leaves together and deposit droppings inside.
Scale insects Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the ...
can suck the sap from stems and leaves and secrete a substance that causes
sooty mould Sooty mold (also spelled sooty mould) is a collective term for different Ascomycete fungi, which includes many genera, commonly ''Cladosporium'' and ''Alternaria''. It grows on plants and their fruit, but also environmental objects, like fences, ...
to grow, blackening the foliage.


Propagation and cultivation

''Leptospermum lanigerum'' is an adaptable species that can tolerate most soils and aspects. Plants are often propagated from seedlings or cuttings and sold in nurseries for garden use.Wrigley, John & Fagg, Murray 1993, p.18. This species is a popular garden plant, due to its attractive flowers and adaptability. Three main forms are known; a large, spreading or erect shrub to 3 m high and 3 m across, a compact columnar shrub to 3 m high by 1 m wide and a slender tree up to 18 m tall (only in Tasmania).


History and uses

''Leptospermum lanigerum'' was the first ''Leptospermum'' species to be brought into cultivation in March 1773. Captain
Tobias Furneaux Captain Tobias Furneaux (21 August 173518 September 1781) was a British navigator and Royal Navy officer, who accompanied James Cook on his second voyage of exploration. He was one of the first men to circumnavigate the world in both direction ...
, of , collected seed from
Adventure Bay, Tasmania Adventure Bay is the name of a locality, a township and a geographical feature on the eastern side of Bruny Island, Tasmania. At the , Adventure Bay had a population of 218. Early history The first European to sight the bay was explorer Abel ...
, as part of Captain James Cook's second visit to the South Seas. This seed was recorded as being in cultivation at the
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,10 ...
, in 1774.
Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...
had many uses for ''L. lanigerum'', including the creation of kangaroo spears and double barbed spears from ''L. lanigerum'' wood. Young shoots and stems of many ''Leptospermum'' species were also used medicinally to treat urinary disorders. Although not widely drunk today, it is recorded that many ''Leptospermum'' species were used as a tea substitute by European settlers. Captain Cook's crew also brewed tea as they believed it would help prevent diseases such as
scurvy Scurvy is a deficiency disease (state of malnutrition) resulting from a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Early symptoms of deficiency include weakness, fatigue, and sore arms and legs. Without treatment, anemia, decreased red blood cells, gum d ...
.


References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q722138 lanigerum Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Tasmania Flora of Victoria (state)