Common name: Tantoon, Jellybush, Jelly Bush
Leptospermum polygalifolium Salisb. APNI* Description: Shrub or tree, bark close, firm but soft, younger stems closely pubescent, glabrescent.
Leaves sometimes aromatic, oblanceolate-elliptic to narrow linear-elliptic 5–20 mm long, 1–5 mm wide, flat or with recurved margins, usually glabrous or almost so, apex broad to narrow acute or obtuse, tip often recurved with a soft or stiff blunt point, base tapering; petiole ± absent.
Flowers solitary, mostly 10–15 mm diam. Hypanthium conspicuously glandular, usually glabrous. Sepals 1.5–2.5 mm long. Petals 4–6 mm long. Stamens c. 2.5–4 mm long. Ovary usually 5-locular.
Fruit 5–10 mm diam., valves opening to exceed rim and reduce the depth of the base.
Flowering: August–January
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in sandy soil or on sandstone, also on basalt derived soils.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ST, NWS, CWS, NWP, LHI
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by J. Thompson & V. Logan
Taxon concept:
Taxa not yet included in identification key
Leptospermum polygalifolium subsp. howense
| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Leaves with margins tending to recurve, not or rarely stiff in texture, lower surface usually paler, apex acute or obtuse | 2 |
| Leaves usually flat and rather stiff in texture with lower surface not conspicuously different, narrow, ± elliptic, usually 10–15 mm long, c. 2 mm wide, usually glabrous and light yellowish green; apex usually acute, almost pungent. Flowers 10–12 mm diam., greenish white or pink. Hypanthium 2.5–3 mm long. Sepals 1.5–2 mm long. Ovary 5-locular. Fruit 6–7 mm diam | subsp. transmontanum |
| 2 | Leaves usually acute or if obtuse >2 mm wide; usually >10 mm long; variable in colour | 3 |
| Leaves usually obtuse and c. 8–10 mm long (longer in a riparian form) and 2 mm wide, usually a characteristic dull grey-green colour, elliptic to obovate, apex rounded with an umbo, recurved, glabrous, dull grey-green, lower paler. Flowers c. 10 mm diam., white. Hypanthium 2.5–3 mm long sepals 1.5–2 mm long. Fruit 5–7 mm diam
Back to 1 | subsp. cismontanum |
| 3 | Leaves usually glabrous, oblanceolate, 10–20 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, acute, often recurving, lower surface often much paler. Flowers c. 12 mm diam., greenish or creamy white. Hypanthium 25–35 mm long. Sepals 2–2.5 mm long. Fruit 6–10 mm diam | subsp. polygalifolium |
| Leaves usually silky on young growth, oblanceolate to elliptic, 10–15 mm long, 3–5 mm wide acute or broad- obtuse, tending to recurve, lower surface paler. Flowers c. 12 mm diam., white. Hypanthium c. 3.5 mm long. Sepals c. 1.5–2 mm long. Fruit 6–9 mm diam
Back to 2 | subsp. montanum |
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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