''Leptospermum liversidgei'', commonly known as the olive tea-tree, is a species of compact shrub that 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 eastern Australia. It has narrow egg-shaped, lemon-scented leaves, white or pink flowers and woody fruit that remain on the plant at maturity.

Description

''Leptospermum liversidgei'' is a shrub that typically grows to a height of and has thin, rough bark on the main branches and hairy young stems. The leaves are crowded, narrow egg-shaped and lemon-scented, mostly long and wide on a very short petiole. The flowers are white or pink, wide on a pedicel long, arranged singly on the ends of short, leafless side branches. The floral cup is dark coloured, about long, 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 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

s hemispherical to triangular, about long, the

petal 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 ''corol ...

s about long and the

stamen 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 filament ...

s long. Flowering mainly occurs in January and the fruit is a woody capsule wide and that is not shed when mature.

Taxonomy and naming

''Leptospermum liversidgei'' was first formally described in 1905 by

Richard Thomas Baker Richard Thomas Baker (1 December 1854 – 14 July 1941) was an Australian economic Botany, botanist, museum curator and educator. Early life Baker was born in Woolwich, England, son of Richard Thomas Baker, a blacksmith, and his wife Sarah, née ...

and Henry George Smith in the '' Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales''. 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 ...

(''liversidgei'') honours Archibald Liversidge.

Distribution and habitat

Olive tea-tree occurs in coastal swamps between the

Bundaberg Bundaberg () is the major regional city in the Wide Bay-Burnett region of the state of Queensland, Australia. It is the List of cities in Australia by population, ninth largest city in the state. The Bundaberg central business district is situa ...

region of Queensland and

Tomago Tomago is a combined industrial/semi-rural suburb of the Port Stephens Council, Port Stephens Local government in Australia, local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located just north of the Hunter River, ...

in New South Wales where it grows in heath.

Use in horticulture

The size of this tea-tree makes it suitable for smaller gardens where it will tolerate poorly-drained soil and at least moderate frost. The leaves contain the essential oil citronellal and the plant is sometimes alleged to repel mosquitoes.

References

* Harden, G.J., ''Flora of New South Wales, Volume 2'', . {{Taxonbar, from=Q722179 liversidgei Flora of New South Wales Myrtales of Australia Plants described in 1905 Taxa named by Richard Thomas Baker