Leptospermum arachnoides

Leptospermum arachnoides, commonly known as the spidery tea-tree,[2] is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough bark, crowded linear to lance-shaped leaves with a sharp point on the end, white flowers and hairy fruit.

Spidery tea-tree
Flowers of Leptospermum arachnoides in the Royal National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Leptospermum
Species:
L. arachnoides
Binomial name
Leptospermum arachnoides
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms[1]
  • Leptospermum arachnoideum Sm. nom. illeg.
  • Leptospermum baccatum Sm.
  • Leptospermum baccatum Sm. var. baccatum
  • Leptospermum juniperifolium Cav.
  • Leptospermum triloculare Vent.
  • Melaleuca arachnoidea Raeusch. nom. inval., nom. nud.
Fruit

Description

Leptospermum arachnoides is a slender, spreading shrub that typically grows to 1–2 m (3 ft 3 in–6 ft 7 in) high and 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) wide and has rough, peeling, flaky bark. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped or elliptical, mostly 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long, 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) wide, concave in cross-section, with a sharp point on the end and on a very short but broad petiole. The flowers are borne singly in leaf axils and are 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) in diameter with a hairy floral cup about 2 mm (0.079 in) long. The sepals are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and hairy, the petals about 4 mm (0.16 in) long and white, the stamens are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long. Flowering occurs from November to January and the fruit is a hairy capsule 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) in diameter.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Leptospermum arachnoides was first formally described in 1788 by Joseph Gaertner in his book De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum.[6][7] The specific epithet (‘’arachnoides’’) is derived from Latin, meaning "resembling a spider".[2]

Distribution and habitat

Spidery tea-tree grows in moist heath and sclerophyll forest, usually on shallow soils derived from sandstone and granite. It occurs between south-east Queensland and the Tinderry Range in New South Wales.[3]

References
  1. "Leptospermum arachnoides". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  2. Les Robinson – Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, ISBN 978-0-7318-1211-0 page 52
  3. "Leptospermum arachnoides". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  4. "Leptospermum arachnoides". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  5. Carolin, Roger C.; Tindale, Mary D. (1993). Flora of the Sydney region (4th ed.). Reed. p. 395. ISBN 0730104001.
  6. "Leptospermum arachnoides". APNI. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  7. Gaertner, Joseph (1788). De Fructibus et Seminibus Plantarum (Volume1). Stuttgart: Sumtibus Auctoris, Typis Academiae Carolinae. p. 174. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
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