''Leptospermum parvifolium'', commonly known as lemon-scented tea-tree, is a species of shrub 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 eastern Australia. It has thin, rough bark, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white or pink flowers, and fruit with the remains of 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 attached but that is shed when the seeds are mature.

Description

''Leptospermum parvifolium'' is a shrub that typically grows to a height of and has thin branches with thin, rough, sometimes flaky bark, the younger stems sometimes hairy. The leaves are egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long and wide tapering to a petiole about long. The flowers are white or pink, about in diameter and usually arranged singly on short side shoots. The flower buds have sometimes large, egg-shaped, 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 but that usually fall as 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 ...

is hairy, long and the sepals triangular, 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 about 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 September to November 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 ...

that has the remnants of the sepals attached but that falls off soon after the end of the flowering season.Les Robinson – Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, page 54

Taxonomy and naming

The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes the ...

of ''L. parvifolium'' was collected by Surgeon John White at

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 ...

in 1795. The plant first appeared in scientific literature in 1797, in the ''

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 ...

'' published by the eminent 18th century botanist James Edward Smith. 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 ...

(''parvifolium'') is derived from Latin, meaning ‘’small leaves’’.

Distribution and habitat

''Leptospermum parvifolium'' grows in dry sclerophyll forest on shallow soils, especially in sandy and rocky areas. It is widespread and common on the northern and central slopes and tablelands, and on the south coast as far south as

Nowra Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is located south-southwest of the state capital of Sydney (about as the crow flies). As of the 2021 census, Nowra has an estimated population of 22,584. Situated in th ...

. It has also been recorded in south-eastern Queensland.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15368411 parvifolium Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1797 Taxa named by James Edward Smith