Lenwebbia
Encyclopedia
Lenwebbia is a genus of 2 species (Snow et al. 2003) of shrub
s or small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae
. The genus is named to honour the Australian plant ecologist Dr. Leonard Webb. The genus occurs in mesic forests along or near the east coast of Australia
, from northern New South Wales
to northeasternQueensland
.
All species were formerly classified in the genus Austromyrtus. Lenwebbia is distinct from Austromyrtus
and Gossia
in having four petals rather than five.
Anatomical (Snow et al. 2003) and genetic analyses (Salywon et al. 2004) have placed Lenwebbia as the sister genus to Lophomyrtus
from New Zealand.
.
L. prominens is found in rainforests accociated with the Tweed Volcano
in Northern NSW and SE Queensland
.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s or small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
. The genus is named to honour the Australian plant ecologist Dr. Leonard Webb. The genus occurs in mesic forests along or near the east coast of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, from northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
to northeasternQueensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
All species were formerly classified in the genus Austromyrtus. Lenwebbia is distinct from Austromyrtus
Austromyrtus
Austromyrtus is a genus of shrubs in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. The three species are found along the east coast of Australia, in Queensland and/or New South Wales. The fruits of A. dulcis have a hint of cinnamon flavouring...
and Gossia
Gossia
Gossia is a genus of rainforest trees in the myrtle family. The name honours the conservation works of the former premier of Queensland, Wayne Goss.There are around 35 species of Gossia. Found in Malesia to New Caledonia, Fiji and Australia...
in having four petals rather than five.
Anatomical (Snow et al. 2003) and genetic analyses (Salywon et al. 2004) have placed Lenwebbia as the sister genus to Lophomyrtus
Lophomyrtus
Lophomyrtus is a genus of the myrtle family native to New Zealand. It has two species, both evergreen shrubs or trees, noted for their colorful leaves, which are purple, chocolate, red or bronze-green. There are also a number of cultivars. Planting in full sun aids the leaf color to develop. In...
from New Zealand.
Species
L. lasioclada is disjunct in northern New South Wales-southern Queensland and northeastern QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
L. prominens is found in rainforests accociated with the Tweed Volcano
Tweed Volcano
Tweed Volcano was an early Miocene shield volcano in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. In the course of about three million years, Tweed Volcano was formed over the East Australia hotspot when this part of the continent passed over it around 23 million years ago...
in Northern NSW and SE Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.