Baeckea frutescens

Baeckea frutescens is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is native to eastern Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Australia. It is a shrub with arching branches, linear leaves and white flowers with seven to thirteen stamens.

Baeckea frutescens
In Belitung, Sumatra
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Baeckea
Species:
B. frutescens
Binomial name
Baeckea frutescens
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Baeckea chinensis Gaertn.
    • Baeckea cochinchinensis Blume
    • Baeckea cumingiana S.Schauer
    • Baeckea ericoides Schltdl.
    • Baeckea sinensis Gaertn.
    • Baeckea stenophylla F.Muell.
    • Baeckea sumatrana Blume
    • Drosodendron rosmarinus (Lour.) M.Roem.
    • Neuhofia rosmarinifolia Stokes

Description

Baeckea frutescens is a shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) and has arching branches. Its leaves are linear and often clustered on short side-branches, 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) long and about 0.5 mm (0.020 in) wide on a petiole 0.5–0.6 mm (0.020–0.024 in) long. The flowers are arranged singly in leaf axils and are 3.5–5 mm (0.14–0.20 in) wide on a pedicel 1–2 mm (0.039–0.079 in) long. The five sepals are rounded-triangular, the five petals white, more or less round and 1.0–1.5 mm (0.039–0.059 in) long, and there are seven to thirteen stamens. Flowering mainly occurs in summer and the fruit is a capsule about 2 mm (0.079 in) in diameter.[2][3]

Taxonomy

Baeckea frutescens was first formally described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum.[4][5] The specific epithet (frutescens) means "becoming bushy or shrubby".[6]

Distribution and habitat

This baeckea grows in heath and open grassland from south-east China to eastern Australia. In Australia it grows in near-coastal areas as far south as Port Macquarie.[2][3]

References
  1. "Baeckea frutescens". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  2. Wilson, Peter G. "Baeckea frutescens". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  3. "Baeckea frutescens". Flora of China. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  4. "Baeckea frutescens". APNI. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  5. Linnaeus, Carl (1753). Species Plantarum. pp. 358–359. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  6. Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 202. ISBN 9780958034180.
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