Leptospermum variabile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leptospermum variabile |
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| Near Evans Head | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Leptospermum
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| Species: |
variabile
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Leptospermum variabile is a type of shrub that grows only in eastern Australia. It has thin, rough bark and leaves shaped like a spear or oval. This plant also has pretty white flowers and woody fruits that stay on the plant even when they are ripe.
What is Leptospermum variabile like?
Leptospermum variabile is usually a shrub. It often grows to be about 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6 feet) tall. Sometimes, it can even become a small tree, reaching over 5 meters (16 feet) high! Its new branches often have a reddish color.
The plant has thin bark that can feel rough or scaly. Its younger stems are covered with soft hairs when they first grow. The leaves are directly attached to the stem, meaning they have no stalk. They are shaped like an oval or a spear, with the narrower part at the bottom. These leaves are usually folded and are about 10 to 20 millimeters long and 2 to 8 millimeters wide.
The flowers are white and grow one by one at the end of short side branches. Each flower is about 15 millimeters wide. The cup-shaped part of the flower (called the floral cup) has small glands. It is about 4 to 6 millimeters long and narrows down to a short stalk. The sepals, which are like small leaves protecting the bud, are broadly egg-shaped and about 3 millimeters long. The petals are 6 to 8 millimeters long, and the stamens (the parts that make pollen) are about 3 to 4 millimeters long.
This plant mainly blooms from September to October. After flowering, it produces a woody fruit called a capsule. These capsules can be different sizes, from about 5 millimeters to 12 millimeters across. They stay on the plant even after they are fully grown.
How did it get its name?
The plant Leptospermum variabile was officially described in 1989. A botanist named Joy Thompson wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea. She used plant samples collected by P.R. Sharp in 1978 near a place called Rathdowney.
The second part of its scientific name, variabile, means "variable." This name was chosen because the plant can look quite different from one place to another. For example, its leaves can be different widths, and its fruits can be different sizes.
Where does it grow?
Leptospermum variabile grows in rocky areas. You can find it in cracks between rocks on mountain tops or along ridges. It lives in the tablelands and coastal ranges. Its home stretches from southeastern Queensland down to near Taree in New South Wales.
