Leptospermum maxwellii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leptospermum maxwellii |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Leptospermum
|
| Species: |
maxwellii
|
The Leptospermum maxwellii is a type of shrub that often grows low to the ground. It is found only in Western Australia, which means it is endemic to that area. This plant has thin bark that peels off, leaves shaped like eggs, and white flowers. These flowers grow one by one on short side branches. After the flowers, it produces fruit that still has the remains of the sepals (the small leaf-like parts that protect the flower bud) attached.
What it Looks Like
Leptospermum maxwellii is a shrub that usually grows to be about 0.5 to 2.3 meters (about 1.5 to 7.5 feet) tall. It has bark that is thin and flakes off easily.
Its leaves are shaped like eggs, but they are narrower at the bottom. They can be up to 12 millimeters (about half an inch) long and 1 to 5 millimeters wide. Each leaf grows on a short stalk called a petiole.
The flowers are white and usually grow in pairs on short side shoots. When the flower buds are young, they have small reddish-brown leaf-like parts called bracts and bracteoles at their base. However, these fall off early as the flower grows.
The base of the flower, called the floral cup, is 2 to 3 millimeters long and has vertical lines on it. The sepals, which are triangular, are 1 to 2 millimeters long. The white petals are 2.5 to 5 millimeters long.
This plant mainly blooms from September to November. The fruit is round, up to 5 millimeters across, and looks wrinkled. It still has the dried remains of the sepals attached to it.
How it Got its Name
The Leptospermum maxwellii was first officially described in 1920 by a scientist named Spencer Le Marchant Moore. He wrote about it in a science journal called The Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany. The plants he studied were collected by George Maxwell near the Fitzgerald River. The second part of the plant's scientific name, maxwellii, was chosen to honor George Maxwell, who found the first samples of this plant.
Where it Grows
This type of tea tree likes to grow on rocky ridges. It prefers sandy soils that are found over granite or laterite rock. You can find it in the Esperance Plains and Mallee areas of Western Australia.
