''Leionema phylicifolium'', commonly known as alpine phebalium, is a shrub that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small shrub with green, smooth, leathery leaves and pale yellow flowers in spring.

Description

''Leionema phylicifolium'' is a compact shrub to high, branchlets are more or less needle-shaped with star to upright shaped soft hairs. The leathery, smooth leaves are oblong to elliptic shaped or narrow with recurved edges, long, wide and smooth margins. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a cluster of mostly 3-4 flowers in a cylindrical arrangement at the end of branches on a small stalk or a peduncle to long in leaf axils. The flower cluster is on a more or less fleshy, smooth

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

long and has tiny egg-shaped bracts. The smooth calyx lobes are triangular shaped, and smooth. The petals are narrowly elliptic, spreading, long and pale yellow and stamens marginally longer than petals. The dry fruit has occasional hairs, rounded at the apex, about long and a very small beak.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by Victorian Government Botanist

Ferdinand von Mueller Baron Sir Ferdinand Jacob Heinrich von Mueller, (german: Müller; 30 June 1825 – 10 October 1896) was a German-Australian physician, geographer, and most notably, a botanist. He was appointed government botanist for the then colony of Vict ...

who had observed the species "on the highest peaks of the Cobboras Mountains, and on the sources of the Mitta Mitta." Mueller named it ''Phebalium phylicifolium'' and the description was published in ''Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science''. In 1998 Paul G. Wilson changed the name to ''Leionema phylicifolium'' and the name change was published in the journal

Nuytsia ''Nuytsia floribunda'' is a hemiparasitic tree found in Western Australia. The species is known locally as moodjar and, more recently, the Christmas tree or Western Australian Christmas tree. The display of intensely bright flowers during the ...

Distribution and habitat

Alpine phebalium is found growing at higher altitudes in eastern

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in scrubland, eucalypt woodland and heath, mostly in wetter locations. It also occurs in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

in the extreme south-east of the state in the

Kosciuszko National Park The Kosciuszko National Park () is a national park and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko, for which it is named, and Cabramurra, the highest town in Australia. Its borders contain a mix of rugged mountains and wildern ...

and south from the upper

Tuross River The Tuross River, an open semi-mature wave dominated barrier estuary or perennial stream, is located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Course and features Tuross River rises of the eastern slopes of the Kybeyan Range, p ...

in dry sclerophyll forest and heath.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q6520074 phylicifolium Sapindales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (state) Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller