Micromyrtus sessilis

Micromyrtus sessilis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dense, spreading shrub with small, more or less linear leaves and flowers that are sometimes single in the upper leaf axils or in dense clusters along the branches. It is similar to M. ciliata but has a more northerly distribution.

Micromyrtus sessilis
Micromyrtus sessilis growing in the Bolivia Hill Nature Reserve south of Tenterfield
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Micromyrtus
Species:
M. sessilis
Binomial name
Micromyrtus sessilis
Occurrence data from AVH

Description

Micromyrtus sessilis is a dense, spreading shrub growing to a height of 0.5–1.5 m (2–5 ft) and which has hairy young stems. The leaves are linear to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 1.5–3 mm (0.06–0.1 in) long and less than 1 mm (0.04 in) wide with a petiole about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. The flowers are sometimes arranged singly in upper leaf axils, sometimes form small heads and are sometimes arranged in dense clusters. There are two bracteoles at the base of each flower and which fall off as the flower opens. The floral cup is cone-shaped and has rounded ribs on its side. The sepals are less than 1 mm (0.04 in) long and the petals are white to pale pink, circular to elliptic in shape and 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) long. There are five stamens 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) long. Flowering mainly occurs in September and October.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Micromyrtus sessilis was first formally described in 1983 by John Green from a specimen collected near Miles and the description was published in Nuytsia.[3][4] The specific epithet (sessilis) is a Latin word meaning "sitting"[5] referring to the flowers having a very short, or no peduncle.[3]

Distribution and habitat

This species occurs between Miles in Queensland and Griffith in New South Wales, mainly above 600 m (2,000 ft), in a range of habitats from mallee to forest, often in rocky places.[2][3]

  • Micromyrtus sessilis habit
  • Main stem
  • Leaves
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References
  1. "Micromyrtus sessilis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  2. Peter G. Wilson. "New South Wales Flora Online: Micromyrtus sessilis". Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia.
  3. Green, John W. (1983). "Taxonomy of Micromyrtus ciliata (Myrtaceae) and allied species including three new species of Micromyrtus from eastern Australia and lectotypification of M. minutiflora" (PDF). Nuytsia. 4 (3): 322–324.
  4. "Micromyrtus sessilis". APNI. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  5. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 699.
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