Anopterus macleayanus (Mountain Laurel, Queensland Laurel or Macleay Laurel) is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Escalloniaceae

Escalloniaceae

The Escalloniaceae is a family of flowering plants comprising about 130 species in seven genera. In the APG II system it is one of eight families in the euasterids II clade that are unplaced as to order...

, native to Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

 and New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

 in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

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It can grow up to 15 metres high and has leaves which are 10 to 30 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide, while juvenile leaves may be much larger. The white flowers occur in racemes between October and December (mid spring to early summer) in its native range.

The species was first formally described in 1859 by botanist Ferdinand von Mueller

Ferdinand von Mueller

Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, KCMG was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist.-Early life:...

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