''Leptospermum polygalifolium'' subsp. ''cismontanum'', commonly known as tantoon, is a subspecies of flowering plant 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 spe ...

and 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 near-coastal areas of eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with elliptical leaves and white flowers in spring.

Description

''Leptospermum polygalifolium'' subsp. ''cismontanum'' is a shrub that typically grows to a height of , sometimes a slender tree to . Its leaves are elliptical, sometimes broader in the upper part, dull green but paler on the lower surface, usually long and wide with the edges tending to turn downwards. The flowers are white, about in diameter with a

hypanthium 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 ...

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 The term ''sepalum'' was coined ...

s are long with pale, thin edges. Flowering occurs in September and October and the fruit is a capsule in diameter.

Taxonomy

This subspecies was first described in 1989 by Joy Thompson in the journal '' Telopea'', from specimens collected near

Dungog Dungog is a country town on the Williams River (New South Wales), Williams River in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia. Located in the middle of dairy and timber country, it is the centre of the Dungog Shire Local government in Aus ...

in 1975.

Distribution and habitat

''Leptospermum polygalifolium'' subsp. ''cismontanum'' is common in near-coastal forests between

Fraser Island Fraser Island ( Butchulla: ) is a World Heritage-listed island along the south-eastern coast in the Wide Bay–Burnett region, Queensland, Australia. The island is approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is within the Fra ...

in Queensland and

Gosford Gosford is the city and administrative centre of the Central Coast Council local government area in the heart of the Central Coast region, about north of Sydney and about south of Newcastle. The city centre is situated at the northern ext ...

in New South Wales. It often grows on sandstone but is also found in coastal swamps, old dunes and hillsides.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28813631 polygalifolium subsp. cismontanum Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plant subspecies Taxa named by Joy Thompson Plants described in 1989