Taxandria juniperina | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Taxandria |
Species: | T. Juniperina |
Binomial name | |
Taxandria juniperina (Schauer) J.R.Wheeler & N.G.Marchant |
Taxandria juniperina commonly known as Wattle, Swamp Wattle, Warren River Cedar or Juniper Myrtle is a species of tree that grows in the south west corner of Western Australia. This plant was previously classified as Agonis juniperina but is now part of the Taxandria genus.
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T. juniperina occurs mostly as an erect tree or shrub that usually grows to less than 10 metres (33 ft) as a dense shrub but can grow up to 27 metres (89 ft) in its native environment. It has fibrous brown bark that is a light red colour on the underside. It grows as a dense shrub in space or as a tall erect tree when part of a thicket. When the leaves and young stems are bruised they release a spicy perfume from which the plant is recognised to be a member of the family Myrtaceae. It is closely related to Leptospermum (Tea Tree).[1] The tree has evergreen foliage with very narrow leaves, 0.4-2.5 long and about 1 mm wide. The flowers produced by T. juniperina occur between February to November and are described as upright whitish spikes. Each flower is white with some pink, 5 mm in diameter. [2]
T. juniperina occurs in a coastal strip in the south west corner of western Australia from Busselton (33° S) to Albany (35° S). The tree prefers margins of winter-wet or permanent swamps or watercourses, but grows in a range of soil types from loam and peat to sand and gravel.[3]