Micromyrtus greeniana


Micromyrtus greeniana is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the west of Western Australia. It is a spindly shrub with linear to egg-shaped leaves and small white or cream-coloured flowers.

Description

Micromyrtus greeniana is a spindly shrub that typically grows to a height of with most of its leaves densely arranged on smaller side-branches. Its leaves are linear to egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, long and wide on a petiole long, with obscure oil glands. The flowers are in diameter, and arranged in 5 to 10 upper leaf axils on a peduncle long with narrowly egg-shaped bracteoles about long at the base. The sepals are broadly egg-shaped, long and wide. The petals are white or cream-coloured, long. Flowering occurs from August to October and the fruits are long and about wide.

Taxonomy

Micromyrtus greeniana was first formally described in 2010 by Barbara Lynette Rye in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Malcolm Eric Trudgen and Kevin Thiele on Eurardy Reserve in 2007. The specific epithet honours John William Green.

Distribution and habitat

This species of micromyrtus grows is only known from a small area on Eurardy Reserve where it grows in yellow sand in mallee in the Geraldton Sandplains bioregion in the west of Western Australia.

Conservation status

Micromyrtus greeniana is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, meaning that it is poorly known and from only one or a few locations.