Micromyrtus navicularis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Micromyrtus navicularis | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Micromyrtus |
| Species: | M. navicularis |
| Binomial name | |
| Micromyrtus navicularis | |
Micromyrtus navicularis is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrowly egg-shaped leaves, and small white flowers in upper leaf axils with 10 stamens in each flower.
Micromyrtus navicularis is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–1.6 m (1 ft 8 in – 5 ft 3 in). It has a single stem at the base, long leaves on short lower branches, and tall spindly stems with shorter leaves pressed against the stem. The leaves are very narrowly egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base or boat-shaped, 3.0–4.5 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long and 0.5–0.7 mm (0.020–0.028 in) wide on a petiole 0.3–0.4 mm (0.012–0.016 in) long, with 8 to 14 prominent glands. The upper surface of the leaves is very concave, the lower surface very convex. The flowers are 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) in diameter, and arranged in 6 to 20 upper leaf axils on a peduncle 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long with narrowly oblong bracteoles 1.3–1.8 mm (0.051–0.071 in) long at the base but that fall off as the flowers develop. The sepals are egg-shaped to almost round, 0.2–0.4 mm (0.0079–0.0157 in) long and 0.35–0.5 mm (0.014–0.020 in) wide. The petals are white, egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, and 1.3–1.8 mm (0.051–0.071 in) long. There are 10 stamens in each flower, the filaments about 0.1–0.2 mm (0.0039–0.0079 in) long.[2]
Taxonomy
Micromyrtus navicularis was first formally described in 2006 by Barbara Lynette Rye in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected near Mount Short, 14 km (8.7 mi) north-north-west of Ravensthorpe by Peter Gordon Wilson in 1968.[3] The specific epithet (navicularis) means "boat-shaped", referring shape of the leaves.[2]