Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Leptospermum obovatum
Common name
River tea-tree, Creek tea-tree
Family
Myrtaceae
Where found
Swampy places and along streams; sometimes among rocks. Widespread. Rare in coastal areas.
Notes
Shrub to 3 m tall. Bark on smaller stems smooth, shedding in stringy strips, fibrous and rough on larger stems. Leaves with sharp tips. Younger stems hairy, with a conspicuous flange. Leaves aromatic when rubbed, alternating up the stems, 0.5-2 cm long, 2-8 mm wide or more, margins curved upwards, sometimes flat, surfaces mostly hairless, tips broad and rounded with a small notch and with a sharp point, sometimes blunt or pointed, bases long tapering to a short or negligible stalk. Flowers 8-12 mm in diameter, with 5 white petals, usually single, occasionally in pairs. Flowers Spring to Summer. Nuts persisting, 5-8 mm in diameter, surface ultimately shedding in papery flakes.
All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Leptospermum~obovatum (accessed 25 January, 2021)
Additional information in: Thompson, J. (8 December 1989), A revision of the genus Leptospermum (Myrtaceae). Telopea 3(3): 412-413, map 8-55
This identification key and fact sheets are available as a free mobile application:
