Tricky Little Myrtles

Angustifolia from the Latin angustus - narrow and folius - leaved.  This species has a limited distribution. It can be found in restricted areas from Mount Hallowell near Denmark to Cheynes Beach, including the Porongurups. Occurs in heath, shrubland or woodland, on sandy or loamy soils often overlying granitic rocks, only occasionally in winter-wet swamps. A fairly bushy, upright shrub up to 3.5 m tall, it is characterised by its long thin leaves. These are 10–23 mm long, up to 1.5 mm wide, thick, concave above and convex below. The flowers are in clusters either axillary or on short shoots. Bracts and bracteoles largely hairless. The sepals are triangular and either hairless or with sparse hairs. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal. Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 6-10 mm across. Each capsule ovoid 2–3 mm across, hairless or slightly hairy. Flowers January to July but the dried petals persist long after that. Fruits September to December the fru

(c) Russell Cumming, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) Callistachys from the Greek calli - beautiful and stachys - flower spike. Occurs from Esperance to Cape Paisley, with a western outlier population in Ravensthorpe. Grows in heath or shrubland, usually associated with swamps or winter-wet areas near granitic outcrops. An upright shrub to 2.5 m tall. The leaves are 10-25 mm long and up to about 2 mm wide, stalkless or almost so, concave above and convex below. The flowers are in clusters either axillary or on short shoots. Bracts and bracteoles wooly. The sepals are triangular and usually sparsely hairy to hairy though they may be glabrous. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal. Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 6-8 mm across. Each capsule ovoid 2–2.5 mm across, hairless or downy. Flowers mostly March to September, the petals persisting for several months. Fruits mostly September to January with the fruits remaining for 2 or 3 years. (c) geoffbyrne, s

(c) Leon Perrie, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) Abruptus from the Latin - abrupt, refers to the abruptly tapered leaf tips compared to the nominate subspecies. Occurs at Fitzgerald River National Park and east of Esperance at Mt Ragged. Grows in heath or shrubland, on sandy, loamy or rocky soil - very unlike the nominate sunspecies which is restricted to granite outcrops. Shrub to 2.5 m tall. Leaves almost stemless, erect to slightly spreading, generally elliptic  6–15 mm long and 2.5–5 mm wide, slightly concave above and convex below, usually abruptly tapered towards the base and tip which is somewhat pointed with a short blunt mucro (exposed tip of vien).  Flower clusters axillary or terminal, 7–10 mm across. Bracts and bracteoles densely hairy. Sepals densely silky hairy with a rounded tip. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal. Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 7-10 mm across the shoot often growing out. Each capsule roughly cup-shaped 2–3 mm acr

Conspicua from the Latin meaning striking. Occurs in scattered populations from south of Pemberton to Walpole and east to the Porongurups and Mt Willyung, with an isolated record from Yelverton near Busselton. Restricted to granite outcrops A shrub to 1.5 m tall. Leaves almost stemless, erect to slightly spreading, generally elliptic 10–25 mm long, 1.5–4 mm wide, slightly concave above and convex below, gradually tapered towards the tip and towards the base, quite thick especially towards the tip which is pointed with a short blunt mucro. Flower clusters usually axillary, about 10 mm across. Bracts and bracteoles somewhat hairy. Sepals with spreading hairs and rounded tip. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal. Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 10 mm across. Each capsule roughly cup-shaped 2–3 mm across, hairless or slightly hairy. Flowering irregular, recorded for February to April and also July to September; fruits persisting for at least one year.

(c) Bushmonger, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) Floribunda from the Latin - flowering profusely. Occurs within the Stirling Range National Park and near Cranbrook. Grows in heath or mallee-heath on lower and upper slopes of mountain peaks, on sand or sandy clay over quartzite or on stony ground, occasionally on peaty sand associated with swamps or winter-wet depressions. A shrub to 2 m tall. The leaves are single, sometimes crowded but not clustered except around flower heads, with a stalk up to 2 mm long; blade obovate or obovate-elliptic, sometimes narrowly so, often undulate or twisted and often recurved towards the apex, typically 5–15 mm long and 1.5–4.5 mm wide, with 1 or 3 longitudinal veins, hairless except when young, tapered to the base, margin usually minutely and irregularly indented, the tip pointed and mucronate (the vein terminates in an exposed point). The flowers are in clusters either axillary or on short shoots. The clusters may only consist of a few flowers and are s

Inundata from the Latin, means flooded and refers to the swampy habitat this species prefers. Occurs from Augusta eastwards to Boat Harbour, west of Denmark. Grows on lake margins or in seasonally to permanently waterlogged depressions in sedgeland or shrubland on sandy or clay soils. A shrub to 2 m tall, often with rather blackish stems. Leaves usually in clusters, almost stemless, generally recurved but may be spreading with a recurved tip, blade usually quite broadly elliptic 6–14 mm long, 3–6 mm wide, sparsely to densely hairy, with 3–5 longitudinal veins, tip usually pointed with a tiny mucro (exposed tip of vein).  Flowers in clusters 8–15 mm across on short axillary shoots. Bracts and bracteoles densely silky hairy. Sepals densely hairy except in the membranous edge, tip rounded to somewhat pointed. Petals white. Stamens 10, one opposite each sepal and petal. Fruits in roughly globular clusters, typically 7–12 mm across. Each capsule roughly cup-shaped 2.2–3 mm across, with shor