Leptospermum repo

Detailed description

Shrub to small tree (1)−3−(6)m tall, sometimes much reduced in extreme acid wetlands, then attaining heights of 100 mm or less. Trunk usually unbranched at base, up to 0.1 m d.b.h, usually devoid of branches in lower ⅓ to ½. Bark firmly attached, fibrous, often deeply fissured. Branches usually 3 or more, and openly branching with semi-erect to widely spreading branches, young stems copiously covered in (0.12−0.24)–0.48−(0.80) mm long, white, straight to slightly flexuous, sericeous, antrorse-appressed hairs, becoming glabrescent with age. Vegetative buds 3−8, mostly shedding soon after vegetative growth commences, rarely with a few persistent, (0.4)−0.6−0.8−(1.0) × (0.3)−0.5−0.7−(0.9) mm, amber to red-brown, scarious, oblong to ovoid, inner surface smooth, glossy, outer with frayed, lacerate margins or entire, basal portion densely invested in white antrorse-appressed to suberect sericeous hairs up to 0.01 mm long. Leaves pleasantly spicy-scented when crushed, divergent to spreading, (5.0)−8.0−11.0−(15.0) × (0.3)−0.5−0.8−(2.0) mm, glossy yellow-green, green to dark green; lamina linear, linear-lanceolate, narrowly lanceolate, occasionally filiform, flat to weakly concave, acute, minutely cuspidate, bases narrowly cuneate, margins minutely denticulate; surfaces sericeous hairy near base and along midrib, and proximal ⅓ of leaf margin, glabrescent with hairs ± persisting on basal portion of leaf and; oil glands numerous, more evident when dry. Perules 4−6, shedding at bud burst, (0.4)−0.6−0.8−(1.0) × (0.4)−0.6−0.8−(0.9) mm, glabrous, hyaline, amber to pale red-brown, scarious, orbicular, margins usually entire, sometimes frayed inner surface smooth, glossy. Inflorescence monadic on short axillary brachyblasts, or, on occasion on long, 200 mm long or more, terminal shoots. Prophylls caducous, 2, 0.1−0.2 mm long, oblong, midrib scarcely developed, yellow-green, green to red-green when fresh, tan when dry, abaxial surface densely invested in white sericeous hairs. Pedicels sessile, or 0.1 mm long at anthesis, elongating to 2.4 mm after anthesis, terete, sparsely invested with antrorse-appressed, sericeous white hairs. Flower buds clavate, tholiform with calyx lobes not meeting. Fresh flowers when fully expanded 10−11−(15) mm in diameter. Hypanthium (2.8)−3.0−(4.0) × (1.6)−2.2 −(4.0) mm, green or honey-brown, obconic, obconic-funnelform; terminating in a slightly thicker rim bearing five calyx lobes; surface smooth (wrinkling in dry specimens) finely glandular punctate, glabrous. Calyx lobes 5, spreading, 2.4−2.6 × 2.4−2.6 mm, caducous, broadly deltoid with rounded apices, usually glabrous except for margins which may be sparsely ciliate, oil glands colourless. Receptacle dark red at anthesis. Petals 5, spreading, 4−5 × 2−3 mm, white, orbicular, apex obtuse to rotund, margins finely crimped, oil glands not evident. Stamens 15−36, in 1−2 weakly defined whorls adnate to receptacular rim, filaments white. Antipetalous stamens 3(+2), antisepalous 4−6. Outermost antipetalous stamens erect or weakly incurved, on filaments 1.20−1.68 mm long, occasional inner whorl of 2 stamens present, these erect or incurved, 0.9−1.2 mm long, positioned at base of the outermost antipetalous pair. Antisepalous stamens about half length of antipetalous, on filaments 0.6−0.84 mm long, incurved, erect or in mixtures of both. Anthers dorsifixed 0.36 × 0.12 mm, ovoid, latrorse. Pollen white to cream. Anther connective gland 0.24 mm long, amber, narrowly obovoid. Ovary 5-locular, each loculus with c. 80 ovules, set in 8 rows on each placental lobe. Style (0.96)−1.9−2.0 mm long at anthesis, elongating to 3 mm after anthesis, green (very rarely pink—one population); stigma 0.70−0.78 mm in diameter at anthesis, expanding to 0.9 mm following anthesis, flat, green, sometimes flushing pink at anthesis, finely papillate rugulose. Fruits persistent, woody, (5)−8−(9) × (5)−6 mm, pale brown-grey to grey, hemispherical / globose (sometimes broadly obconic), centre often with persistent style remnant, valves 5, exserted as a dome, indented at centre, ± symmetrical with base. Valves opening on dead branches or following fire. Seeds 2.3−2.4−(2.6) × 0.24− 0.24 mm, linear, linear-cuneiform, curved, flexuous to sigmoid, laterally compressed or terete, 2−4-angled, apex truncate or acute, testa dull or glossy, orange-brown, glabrous, longitudinally striate.