''Metrosideros sclerocarpa'', commonly known as the mountain rose, is a
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Myrtaceae.
Description
It is a small tree, growing to 10 m in height. The leathery ovate to elliptic
leaves are 30–65 mm long and 17–32 mm wide. The bright red brush-like flowers have filaments 15–20 mm long. The fruits are 6–7 mm long. The flowering season is from December to February.
Distribution and habitat
The plant 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 else ...
to
Australia's
subtropical Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...
in the
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea ( Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer ...
. It occurs mainly near watercourses, below an elevation of about 300 m, in the southern mountains of the island.
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See also
*'' Metrosideros nervulosa'' – a similar and closely related plant also endemic to Lord Howe, also known as "mountain rose", differentiated by altitudinal range
References
sclerocarpa
Endemic flora of Lord Howe Island
Myrtales of Australia
Plants described in 1990
Taxa named by John Dawson (botanist)
{{Myrtaceae-stub