''Leptospermum morrisonii'' is a shrub or small tree that 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 New South Wales. It has strongly aromatic, elliptical to lance-shaped or curved leaves, white or greenish white flowers and fruit that remain on the plant. It occurs in the south-east of the state.

Description

''Leptospermum morrisonii'' is a shrub or small tree that typically grows to a height of or higher. The bark on older stems is corrugated, the younger stems softly-hairy with a distinct flange. The leaves are strongly aromatic, elliptical to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and often slightly curved, long and wide with a negligible petiole. The flowers are borne singly on the ends of branchlets and are white or greenish creamy-white, usually wide. There are broad, reddish brown bracts and

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 of the flower bud but most are shed before the flower opens. The

floral cup In angiosperms, a hypanthium or floral cup is a structure where basal portions of the calyx, the corolla, and the stamens form a cup-shaped tube. It is sometimes called a floral tube, a term that is also used for corolla tube and calyx tube. It of ...

glabrous Glabrousness (from the Latin '' glaber'' meaning "bald", "hairless", "shaved", "smooth") is the technical term for a lack of hair, down, setae, trichomes or other such covering. A glabrous surface may be a natural characteristic of all or part o ...

, about deep and 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 ...

s are thin, pale, and long. The

petal Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corolla''. Petals are usuall ...

s are long and the

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 ...

s long. Flowering mainly occurs from late December to January and the fruit is a

capsule Capsule may refer to: Anatomy * Articular capsule (joint capsule), an envelope surrounding a synovial joint * Bowman's capsule (glomerular capsule), a sac surrounding a glomerulus in a mammalian kidney * Glisson's capsule, a fibrous layer covering ...

usually in diameter.

Taxonomy and naming

''Leptospermum morrisonii'' was first formally described in 1989 by Joy Thompson in the journal '' Telopea'', based on plant material collected by Hugo Salasoo, near Mount Dhruwalgha, south-east of

Robertson Robertson may refer to: People * Robertson (surname) (includes a list of people with this name) * Robertson (given name) * Clan Robertson, a Scottish clan * Robertson, stage name of Belgian magician Étienne-Gaspard Robert (1763–1837) Places ...

. 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 ...

(''morrisonii'') honours David Morrison for his genecological work.

Distribution and habitat

This tea-tree grows in woodland and shrubland in rocky paces and on rocky creek banks from the southern Blue Mountains to the

Corang River Corang River is a perennial river of the Shoalhaven catchment located in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. Location and features Corang River rises on the western slopes of the Budawang Range and flows generally nor ...

further south.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15369239 morrisonii Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Plants described in 1989 Taxa named by Joy Thompson