Heath tea-tree facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heath tea-tree |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Leptospermum
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myrsinoides
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The Leptospermum myrsinoides, often called the heath tea-tree or silky tea-tree, is a type of shrub. It grows only in south-eastern Australia. This plant has smooth bark on its younger branches. Its leaves are narrow and egg-shaped. It produces pretty white flowers and fruit that usually drops off after its seeds are released.
Contents
About the Heath Tea-Tree
The heath tea-tree is a shrub that usually grows to be about 1 to 2.5 meters (3 to 8 feet) tall. Its older stems have thin, strong bark. The younger stems are smooth and might be a bit hairy at first. Later, this bark peels off in stringy strips.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of the heath tea-tree are thin and shaped like a narrow egg. They are about 5 to 10 millimeters long and 1 to 3 millimeters wide. They connect to the stem with a very short stalk called a petiole.
The flowers are usually white and grow alone or sometimes in pairs on short side branches. Each flower is about 5 to 10 millimeters wide. At the bottom of the flower bud, there are reddish-brown leaf-like parts called bracts. These usually fall off when the flower opens.
The base of the flower, called the floral cup, is about 4 millimeters long. It sits on a very short stalk called a pedicel. This floral cup is often silky and hairy on its lower half. The small leaf-like parts under the petals, called sepals, are about 0.5 millimeters long. The white petals are 4 to 5 millimeters long, and the stamens (the parts that make pollen) are less than 1 millimeter long.
Flowering and Fruit
The heath tea-tree mostly flowers from October to November. After flowering, it produces a round fruit called a capsule. This capsule is about 4 to 6 millimeters wide. It still has the remains of the sepals attached. However, the fruit usually falls from the plant soon after the seeds inside are released.
Naming the Heath Tea-Tree
The heath tea-tree was first officially described in 1847. A German botanist named Diederich von Schlechtendal gave it its scientific name, Leptospermum myrsinoides. He wrote about it in a science journal called Linnaea.
Where the Heath Tea-Tree Grows
The heath tea-tree grows in areas called heathlands and mallee (a type of shrubland). You can find it along the far south coast of New South Wales, near Eden. It also grows in the Mount Lofty Ranges and on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. This plant is also very common across Victoria.
See also
In Spanish: Leptospermum myrsinoides para niños
