''Leptospermum sphaerocarpum'' 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 ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. It has thin, firm bark, elliptical, sharply-pointed leaves, greenish white or pink flowers and fruit that remain on the plant at maturity.

Description

''Leptospermum sphaerocarpum'' is a shrub that typically grows to a height of with thin, firm bark and young stems usually covered with soft hairs. It has broad to narrow elliptical leaves long and wide with a sharply-pointed tip and tapering at the base to a short, thick petiole. The flowers are greenish white or pink, mostly wide and arranged singly on short side shoots. There are many reddish brown bracts at the base of the flower bud but which fall off long 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 ...

is densely silky-hairy, long 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 broadly egg-shaped, about 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 October to November and the fruit is a capsule wide with woody valves and that remains on the plant at maturity.

Taxonomy and naming

''Leptospermum sphaerocarpum'' was first formally described in 1932 by

Edwin Cheel Edwin Cheel (14 February 1872 – 19 September 1951) was an Australian botanist and collector. Before being appointed as a staff member of Centennial Park in 1897 he was a gardener in New South Wales and Queensland. Later he transferred to the R ...

in the ''

Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...

'', from specimens he collected near

Rylstone Rylstone is a village and civil parish in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated very near to Cracoe and about 6 miles south west of Grassington. The population of the civil parish as of the 2011 census was 160. Ryls ...

Distribution and habitat

This tea-tree in grows in heath and forest on sandstone ridges and cliffs In the

Warrumbungles The Warrumbungles is a mountain range in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The nearest town is Coonabarabran. The area is easiest accessed from the Newell Highway which is the major road link directly between Melbourne, Victo ...

and south to the Blue Mountains and upper Hunter River in New South Wales.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15368761 sphaerocarpum Flora of New South Wales Myrtales of Australia Plants described in 1932 Taxa named by Edwin Cheel