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Species profile—Micromyrtus carinata (Gurulmundi heath-myrtle)

Classification

Plantae (plants) → Equisetopsida (land plants) → MyrtaceaeMicromyrtus carinata (Gurulmundi heath-myrtle)

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Species details

Kingdom
Plantae (plants)
Class
Equisetopsida (land plants)
Family
Myrtaceae
Scientific name
Micromyrtus carinata A.R.Bean
Common name
Gurulmundi heath-myrtle
WildNet taxon ID
18706
Alternate name(s)
Gurulmundi micromyrtus
Nature Conservation Act 1992 (NCA) status
Endangered
Conservation significant
Yes
Confidential
No
Endemicity
Native
Pest status
Nil
Short Notes
status annotated by author
Description
Micromyrtus carinata is a shrub growing to 2.5 m high, with branchlets which are somewhat pendulous. The bark is grey, closely adhering, with shallow longitudinal fissures. The stem flanges are grey, slightly convex, not winged or warty, with entire margins. The leaves are opposite, imbricate, obovate to oblanceolate, 1.1 to 1.5 mm long and 0.5 to 0.7 mm wide. The dorsal leaf surface is not keeled, is glabrous, with prominent oil glands. The leaf apex is obtuse, the margins are entire or rarely denticulate, and the petioles are 0.2 to 0.25 mm long. The flowers are 1.5 to 1.8 mm across, solitary, axillary, with peduncles 0.5 to1.3 mm long. There are 2 bracteoles, white to pale green, acute, 0.5 mm long and deciduous. The 5 petals are pale and yellow, orbicular, 0.8 to 0.9 mm long and 0.9 to 1.0 mm wide, with a prominent central longitudinal keel. The oil glands are prominent on the lower petal surfaces. The petal margins are entire. The fruit is indehiscent, not enlarged. The seeds have not been seen.
M. carinata is closely allied to M. gracilis and M. albicans. M. carinata differs from M. gracilis by its smaller flowers and the shorter hypanthium, and the thick, prominently keeled, yellow petals. M. carinata differs from M. albicans by the absence of calyx lobes, perpendicular disc, and keeled yellow petals (Bean, 1997).
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Distribution
Micromyrtus carinata is endemic to a small area to the north-west of Gurulmundi, on the crest of the Great Dividing Range. The species occurs east of Chinchilla and north west of Miles. M. carinata occurs within the Gurulmundi State Forest (Queensland Herbarium, 2012).
Distributional limits
-26.3998126, 149.875
-26.610087, 150.9491517
Range derivation
Range derived from extent of the taxon's verified records
Habitat
Micromyrtus carinata inhabits the tops of laterised ridges, on shallow to deep, yellow or red sands. Associated species and vegetation include: heath dominated by this species and Triodia sp., Homalocalyx polyandrus, Corymbia trachyphloia and E. exserta also present; pale red-brown sand over hard brown loam with associated species including recently burnt Callitris sp. / Eucalyptus exserta woodland with sparse understorey of Melichrus sp.; low open shrubland of Acacia triptera; and Acacia triptera shrubland with scattered Melaleuca nodosa (Queensland Herbarium, 2012).
Reproduction
Flowers and fruits of Micromyrtus carinata have been collected between May and October, but it probably flowers at any time of year, in response to rain (Bean, 1997, Queensland Herbarium, 2012).
Threatening processes
Threatening processes to Micromyrtus carinata include mining activity and gravel extraction, and inappropriate fire regimes (Bean, 1997).
Status notes
Micromyrtus carinata is listed as Endangered under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992.
References
Bean, A.R. (1997). A revision of Micromyrtus Benth. (Myrtaceae) in Queensland. Austrobaileya 4 (4): 464-466.
Queensland Herbarium (2012). Specimen label information. Queensland Herbarium. Accessed 20/03/2012.
Profile author
Lynise Wearne (16/03/2012)

Other resources

Data source

This profile data is sourced from the QLD Wildlife Data API using the Get species by ID function used under CC-By 4.0.
https://apps.des.qld.gov.au/species/?op=getspeciesbyid&taxonid=18706.

This information is sourced from the WildNet database managed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.

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Licence
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Last updated
20 May 2024