Leptospermum scoparium
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 Leptospermum scoparium foliage and flowers
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| Leptospermum scoparium J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. |
Leptospermum scoparium (Manuka or Tea tree) is a shrub or small tree native to New Zealand and southeast Australia. It is found throughout New Zealand but is particularly common on the drier east coasts of the North Island and the South Island, and in Australia in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. Manuka is the Māori name used in New Zealand, and tea tree is a common name used in Australia and to a lesser extent also in New Zealand.
It is a prolific scrub-type tree and is often one of the first species to regenerate on cleared land. It is typically a shrub growing to 2-5 m tall, but can grow into a moderately sized tree, up to 15 m or so in height. It is evergreen, with dense branching and small leaves 7-20 mm long and 2-6 mm broad, with a short spine tip. The flowers are white, occasionally pink, 8-15 mm (rarely up to 25 mm) diameter, with five petals.
The wood is tough and hard, and was often used for tool handles. Manuka sawdust imparts a delicious flavour when used in smoking meats and fish. Manuka honey, produced when honeybees gather the nectar from its flowers, is distinctively flavoured, darker and richer in taste than clover honey, has high antibacterial potency and is widely available in New Zealand.
Kakariki parakeets (Cyanoramphus) use leaves and bark of manuka and the related kanuka tea trees to rid themselves of parasites. Apart from ingesting the material, they also chew it, mix it with preen gland oil and apply it to their feathers (Greene, 1989).
[edit] References
- Greene, Terry (1989): Antiparasitic behaviour in New Zealand parakeets (Cyanoramphus species). Notornis 36(4): 322–323. PDF fulltext
