Common name: Narrow leaf Myrtle
Backhousia angustifolia F.Muell. APNI* Description: Decumbent shrub or small tree to c. 7 m tall with grey to black rough, fissured bark; young branchlets densely pubescent with spreading hairs.
Leaves narrow-ovate to to narrow-elliptic, 2–4.5 cm long, 0.3–0.9 cm wide, apex obtuse or acute, base cuneate to rounded, sparsely hairy, glabrescent; upper surface green, lower surface paler; lateral veins distinct, strongly ascending with no clear intramarginal vein formed: oil glands large, numerous, releasing a distinct odour when crushed; petiole 1–2 mm long.
Peduncle 10–30 mm long, pedicel very short, up to 1.5 mm long.. Flowers pale cream. Hypanthium ribbed, pubescent, Sepals unequal in size, wider than long, up to 2 mm long and 2.5 mm wide. Petals 2–2.5 mm long. Stamens c. 3 mm long.
Fruit c. 3 mm long, summit rounded, barely projecting beyond the hairy throat of the hypanthium.
Flowering: Spring to Summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Queensland and New South Wales; in N.S.W., only known from near Gravesend. In dry rainforest, usually on basaltic soils.
NSW subdivisions: NWS
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by Peter G. Wilson (2002) Taxon concept:
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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