''Sannantha pluriflora'', commonly known as tall baeckea, is a flowering shrub or small tree species in the myrtle family,

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. Plants grow to 4 metres high. White flowers appear in groups of three to seven between October and April in the species' native range. These have five rounded petals surrounding 8–15 stamens. The fruits are in diameter.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described in 1855 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 ...

and given the name ''Camphoromyrtus pluriflora''. It was placed in the genus ''

Babingtonia ''Babingtonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The species are native to Australia. Many species formerly placed in the genus are currently included in ''Sannantha'', '' Baeckea'', ''Oxymyrrhine'', ''Kardomia'' ...

'' in 1997 and in 2007 it was placed in the newly created genus ''

Sannantha ''Sannantha'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae that are native to Australia and New Caledonia. Plants in the genus ''Sannantha'' are shrubs or trees with leaves arranged in opposite pairs, flowers usually arranged in small g ...

''. For many years the name ''Baeckea virgata'' was misapplied to this species. ''Baeckea virgata'', currently ''

Sannantha virgata ''Sannantha virgata'' is a flowering shrub species in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia. Plants grow to between 0.5 and 3 metres high. White flowers appear in spring or summer with 5 rounded petals surrounding 7 to 10 ...

'', is endemic to

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

Distribution

The species occurs from

Gippsland Gippsland is a rural region that makes up the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains to the rainward (southern) side of the Victorian Alps (the southernmost section of the Great Dividing Range). It covers ...

in Victoria and northwards to Port Stephens in New South Wales.

Cultivation

The species has been cultivated for many years under various names.

Cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

include: *'Clarence River' *'Golden' *'La Petite' *'White Cascade'

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7418829 Flora of New South Wales Flora of Victoria (Australia) plurifolia Myrtales of Australia Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller