Gossia fragrantissima
Encyclopedia
Gossia fragrantissima, known as the Sweet Myrtle or Small-leaved Myrtle is a shrub or small tree of eastern Australia
. A plant with a ROTAP
rating of 3EC-, endangered by extinction.
Found in sub tropical rainforest
s near streams, from near Woodburn, New South Wales
to Nambour in south eastern Queensland
. It features fragrant flowers, hence the specific epithet fragrantissima. White flowers grow from October to February.
The Sweet Myrtle may grow to seven metres tall. Bark is rough, fawn brown in colour, often flaking off in small particles. The berry matures in January and February, globular in shape, 4 to 6 mm in diameter. It may appear green, yellow, orange or red. The fruit has four persistent calyx lobes. Leaves are opposite on the stem, broad ovate, 1.5 to 5 cm long, 8 to 25 mm wide.
An intra-marginal leaf vein is usually absent. Leaves are without toothed edges and have only 5 to 8 lateral veins, only visible on the underside. Gossia acmenoides
and Gossia bidwillii
have 15 to 20 lateral veins. Regeneration is difficult from seed, and cuttings seldom strike. The former habitat is now mostly destroyed for housing and agriculture.
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...
. A plant with a ROTAP
ROTAP
Rare or Threatened Australian Plants, usually abbreviated to ROTAP, is a list of rare or threatened Australian plant taxa. Developed and maintained by the CSIRO, the most recent edition lists 5031 taxa. The list uses a binary coding system based on the IUCN Red List categories for "Presumed...
rating of 3EC-, endangered by extinction.
Found in sub tropical rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s near streams, from near Woodburn, New South Wales
Woodburn, New South Wales
Woodburn is a small highway town on the banks of the Richmond River in New South Wales, Australia. The busy Pacific Highway passes through the centre of town...
to Nambour in south eastern 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...
. It features fragrant flowers, hence the specific epithet fragrantissima. White flowers grow from October to February.
The Sweet Myrtle may grow to seven metres tall. Bark is rough, fawn brown in colour, often flaking off in small particles. The berry matures in January and February, globular in shape, 4 to 6 mm in diameter. It may appear green, yellow, orange or red. The fruit has four persistent calyx lobes. Leaves are opposite on the stem, broad ovate, 1.5 to 5 cm long, 8 to 25 mm wide.
An intra-marginal leaf vein is usually absent. Leaves are without toothed edges and have only 5 to 8 lateral veins, only visible on the underside. Gossia acmenoides
Gossia acmenoides
Gossia acmenoides, known as the Scrub Ironwood, is a rainforest tree of the family Myrtaceae, native to eastern Australia. The usual habitat of this small tree is drier rainforest areas...
and Gossia bidwillii
Gossia bidwillii
Gossia bidwillii, known as the Python Tree is a rainforest myrtle of eastern Australia. The usual habitat is the drier rainforest areas...
have 15 to 20 lateral veins. Regeneration is difficult from seed, and cuttings seldom strike. The former habitat is now mostly destroyed for housing and agriculture.