Myrsine myrtillina is a flowering plant in the family Primulaceae. It is a shrub endemic to Lord Howe Island.[1] The specific epithet comes from a fancied resemblance of the leaves to those of the myrtle genus Myrtus.[2]
| Myrsine myrtillina | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Primulaceae |
| Genus: | Myrsine |
| Species: | M. myrtillina
|
| Binomial name | |
| Myrsine myrtillina (Mez) Jackes (2005)
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Rapanea myrtillina Mez (1902) | |
Description
editIt is a shrub, growing to 3 m in height. The oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate leaves are 8–25 mm long and 3–12 mm wide. The small flowers are cream with dark pink spots. The round purple fruits are 3.5–4 mm in diameter.[2]
Distribution and habitat
editThe plant is endemic to Australia’s subtropical Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea, where it is rare upland inhabitant, being found from an elevation of about 400 m upwards to the summits of Mounts Lidgbird and Gower at the southern end of the island.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b Myrsine myrtillina (Mez) Jackes. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ^ a b c " Rapanea myrtillina ". Flora of Australia Online: Data derived from Flora of Australia Volume 49 (1994). Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS). Retrieved 2014-02-11.
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