''Leptospermum novae-angliae'' is a species of 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 elliptical leaves that are usually crowded, single white flowers on short shoots and fruit that remain on the plant until it dies. It usually grows in rocky places.

Description

''Leptospermum novae-angliae'' is a shrub that typically grows to a height of up to with flaking bark on the older stems. Younger stems are silky-hairy at first, becoming

glabrous Glabrousness () 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 of a plant or animal, or be due to loss because of a physical condition, ...

later. The leaves are crowded, broadly to very narrow elliptical, long and wide tapering to a short, broad

petiole Petiole may refer to: *Petiole (botany), the stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem *Petiole (insect anatomy) In entomology, petiole is the technical term for the narrow waist of some hymenopteran insects, especially ants, bees, and ...

. The flowers are borne singly on the ends of side shoots that continue to grow after flowering. The flowers are white, wide with reddish brown

bract In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also lo ...

s at the base of the flower bud and sometimes the open flower. The floral cup is glabrous, about long and covered with conspicuous

glands A gland is a Cell (biology), cell or an Organ (biology), organ in an animal's body that produces and secretes different substances that the organism needs, either into the bloodstream or into a body cavity or outer surface. A gland may also funct ...

. The sepals are broadly egg-shaped, 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 from October to November and the fruit is a variably-sized capsule in diameter but often wider or narrower. The fruit remains on the plant until it dies, the sepal remnants having fallen.

Taxonomy and naming

''Leptospermum novae-angliae'' was first formally described in 1989 by

Joy Thompson Joy Thompson (born Joy Gardiner-Garden, 1923, died 2018) was an Australian botanist. Her main research areas were taxonomy and Myrtaceae. Life and career Thompson's university studies occurred during the second world war and in university vacat ...

in the journal '' Telopea'', based on plant material collected in 1962 by Ernest Francis Constable on Bald Rock near

Tenterfield Tenterfield is a regional town in New South Wales, Australia, situated at the junction of the New England and Bruxner highways, along the Northern Tablelands, within the New England, New South Wales, New England region. At the , Tenterfield ha ...

. 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 ...

(''novae-angliae'') refers to the New England Tableland where the species occurs.

Distribution and habitat

This tea-tree grows in heath and forest in rocky places, especially on granite outcrops on the New England Tableland and nearby areas of the Western Slopes of New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, north from Point Lookout.

Conservation status

This species is classified as of "least concern" under the Queensland Government ''

Nature Conservation Act 1992 The ''Nature Conservation Act 1992'' is an act of the Parliament of Queensland, Australia, that, together with subordinate legislation, provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota. As originally published, it prov ...

''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15368442 novae-angliae Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1989 Taxa named by Joy Thompson