Blue-green tea tree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Blue-green tea tree |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Leptospermum
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| Species: |
glaucescens
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
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List
Eriostemon trinerve Hook. orth. var.
Eriostemon trinervis Hook. Leptospermum erythrocarpum Summerh. & H.F.Comber Leptospermum flavescens auct. non Sm. Leptospermum flavescens auct. non Sm. Leptospermum myrtifolium auct. non Sieber ex DC. Leptospermum myrtifolium auct. non Sieber ex DC. Leptospermum sericeum auct. non Labill. |
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Leptospermum glaucescens, also known as the blue-green tea tree or smoky tea tree, is a type of shrub or small tree. It is found only in Tasmania, an island state of Australia. This plant has leaves that are often a pretty greyish-green color. It also has white flowers and fruits that stay on the plant for a while after they are ripe.
Contents
What Does the Blue-Green Tea Tree Look Like?
The blue-green tea tree is a shrub or small tree. It has bark that peels off in flakes. Its young stems are often hairy.
Leaves
The leaves are shaped like an ellipse or an egg, with the narrower end at the bottom. They are usually about 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) long and 3-6 millimeters (0.1-0.2 inches) wide. Often, they have a greyish-green color. The leaves connect to the stem with a very short stalk, about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) long.
Flowers
The flowers grow one by one where the leaves meet the stem (called a leaf axil). They are about 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) across. Before the flower opens, it has broad, brownish leaf-like parts called bracts at its base. These bracts fall off as the flower grows.
The base of the flower, called the floral cup, is 3-3.5 millimeters (0.12-0.14 inches) long and usually very hairy. The green leaf-like parts that protect the bud, called sepals, are 1.5-2.5 millimeters (0.06-0.1 inches) long. The petals are white and 4-7 millimeters (0.16-0.28 inches) long. The stamens, which produce pollen, are about 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inches) long.
Flowering and Fruit
This tea tree usually flowers from January to February. After flowering, it produces a fruit called a capsule. This capsule is 4-5 millimeters (0.16-0.2 inches) wide. It stays on the plant for some time even after it's fully grown. The sepals, which were at the base of the flower, remain attached to the fruit.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The scientific name Leptospermum glaucescens was first officially described in 1841. This was done by a botanist named Sebastian Schauer. He wrote about it in a science journal called Linnaea.
Schauer's description was based on plants grown in a garden in Poland. These plants came from seeds given by the Berlin Botanic Garden. Scientists have searched for the original plant samples Schauer used, but they haven't found them.
Where Does It Grow?
The blue-green tea tree grows in wet, open areas called heathland. It is found all over Tasmania.
