170 MYRTACEAE 
Leptospermum 
LEPTOSPERMUM J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. 
An essentially Australian genus of c. 80 species with 1 species in the NT. [Thompson, 1989; Bean, 1992]. 
L. madidum A.R.Bean subsp. sativum A.R.Bean 
L. longifolium (C.T.White & W.D.Francis) S.T.Blake 
L. parviflorum Valeton, misapplied name 
Evergreen shrub or tree 2-9 m high; trunk fluted 
and twisted in large trees; bark smooth. Branchlets 
pendulous; new shoots sparsely sericeous, the 
foliage soon glabrous. Petioles c. 1 mm long. 
Leaf blades slightly bifacial, linear or very narrowly 
elliptic, 8-70 mm long, 1-6 mm wide, L/B 8-26, 
acute. Flowers few together on short shoots in the 
outer axils. Hypanthium campanulate, c. 2 mm 
long, pubescent. Sepals persistent, triangular, 
c. 1 mm long, pubescent. Petals white, deciduous, 
+ orbicular, c. 2 mm long. Stamens short, spaced, 
in a single series. Ovary 3-locular. Fruit a capsule 
4-5 mm wide. Flowering: July - Oct; fruiting: Sept - 
Nov. Fig. 53 Weeping Tea Tree 
Kimberley to the Top End. In the DR in the Darwin 
R.- Litchfield NP area. A rheophyte growing in 
seasonal, but perennially moist, stream beds or on 
stream margins in sandy soils. Common in 
cultivation in Darwin. 
LOPHOSTEMON Schott 
Evergreen trees; milky sap present in young shoots. Leaves alternate. Inflorescence an axillary dichasium. 
Hypanthium campanulate; perianth 5-merous. Sepals persistent (in DR spp.). Petals white, deciduous. 
Stamens in more than | series, in 5 bundles opposite the petals. Ovary half inferior, 3-locular; placentation 
axile or pseudoaxile. Fruit a capsule. 
Four species in northern Australia with one of the east coast species extending to New Guinea; 2 species in 
the NT. [Wilson & Waterhouse, 1982] 
Brush Box (L. confertus (R.Br.) Peter Wilson & J.T.Waterh.) of the east coast is an important timber 
species; L. lactifluus has in the past been cut on Melville Is. for furniture making. 
ib. Mature leaves usually minutely tomentose below; bark hard, fissured; 
petioless3-2 [¥mmlonegereccssesstecsrssenctetenessettretst: 
1. Mature leaves glabrous or glabrescent; bark papery; petioles 20-45 mm long ...............+. 
L. grandiflorus (Benth.) Peter Wilson & J.T.Waterh. 
Tristania grandiflora (Benth.) Cheel 
Tree 5-11 m high; bark grey, hard, fissured. Leaves 
and branchlets densely and minutely pubescent, 
upper surface of leaves becoming glabrescent; 
petioles 3-21 mm long; blades bifacial, leathery, 
oblong, obovate or elliptic, 43-140 mm long, 15-47 
mm wide, L/B 1.9-4.1, acute or obtuse. Inflorescence 
on current seasons shoots, 15-40 mm long. 
Hypanthium ribbed, 4-5 mm long, pubescent. Sepals 
persistent, semicircular, 2-3 mm long, pubescent. 
Petals white, + orbicular, 4-5 mm long. Staminal 
bundles broad based, 4-5 mm long. Fruit campanulate, 
5-11 mm wide. Flowering and fruiting: most 
months. Fig. 53 
Distributed from the Kimberley to coastal Qld; 
L. grandiflorus 
L. lactifluus 
not common in the DR. A species of seasonal 
streams and swamps. Two subspecies, based on a 
discontinuity in various floral characters, are 
recognised by Wilson & Waterhouse (1982). 
L. lactifluus (F.Muell.) Peter Wilson & J.T.Waterh. 
Tristania lactiflua F.Muell. 
Tree 5-15 m high; rhizomatous, forming 
dense clonal patches; bark brown, papery, flaky. 
Young /eaves silky hairy, soon glabrous; petioles 
20-45 mm long; blades bifacial, elliptic or lanceo- 
late, 68-174 mm long, 13-94 mm wide, L/B 1.6-3.3, 
the upper surface slightly glossy, obtuse. Inflorescence 
usually much branched, 30-40 mm long. Hypanthium 
c. 2 mm long, glabrous or rarely tomentose. 
Sepals c. 1 mm long, glabrous or tomentose. Petals 
