Leptospermum rupicola facts for kids

Leptospermum rupicola is a special kind of plant, a low-growing shrub, that you can only find in New South Wales, Australia. It often grows near cliffs. This plant has thin, rough bark, long, narrow leaves, and pretty white flowers. It also produces fruits that stay on the plant even when they are ripe.

What it Looks Like

Leptospermum rupicola is a small shrub that usually grows to be about 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tall or less. It has thin, strong bark. When the stems are young, they have flat hairs and a noticeable ridge.

Its leaves are long and narrow, shaped like a spear. They are about 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide. Each leaf has a sharp point at the end and gets narrower towards the base, but it doesn't have a leaf stalk (called a petiole).

The flowers are white and about 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) wide. They grow one by one on short branches, coming out from where a leaf joins the stem. When the flower buds are young, they have small reddish-brown bracts (leaf-like parts) at their base, but these fall off quickly.

The part of the flower that holds the petals and other parts (called the floral cup) is smooth and about 3 mm (0.12 in) long. The sepals, which protect the bud, are about 2 mm (0.079 in) long. The petals are about 5 mm (0.20 in) long, and the stamens (the parts that make pollen) are 1.5–3 mm (0.059–0.118 in) long.

This plant usually flowers from March to May and again from September to October. Its fruit is a round capsule about 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) across. The sepals fall off, but the fruit stays on the plant even after it's ripe.

How it Got its Name

The Leptospermum rupicola was first officially described in 1989 by a botanist named Joy Thompson. She wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea. Her description was based on a plant sample collected by Ernest Constable in 1957 near Blackheath.

The name rupicola comes from Latin words that mean "rock dweller." This name was chosen because the plant often grows near rocky cliffs.

Where it Lives

This type of tea-tree grows in areas with other shrubs, especially near tall sandstone cliffs. You can find it in the central-eastern part of New South Wales, Australia.