Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER)

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Kunzea ericoides
(A. Rich) J. Thompson, Myrtaceae
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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Kunzea peduncularis F. Muell.; Leptospermum ericoides A. Rich.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: burgan, kanuka, manuka, tea-tree, white teatree

Habit:  tree

Description:  "Shrub or small tree up to ca 6 m tall. Leaves with petioles up to ca 1.5 mm long; blades linear-ovate or linear-elliptic, apex acute, base cuneate, 1.2-2.5 cm x 0.2-0.4 cm, glabrous or with few hairs when young, oil glands conspicuous. Flowers in leafy racemes, pedicels 4-7 mm long; hypanthium 2-2.5 mm long, glabrous; sepals ca 0.5 mm long, "persistent; petals white, 2-2.5 mm long; stamens whitish. Fruits 2-3 mm broad, flat on top" (Stanley and Ross, 1986; vol. 2, p. 133).

Habitat/ecology:  Similar to Leptospermum scoparium. Cultivated as an ornamental.

Propagation:  Seed.

Native range:  Australia and New Zealand (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
State of Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
Lāna‘i Island   Smith, Clifford W. (1998)
C.W. Smith
Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. &
Island group
Location Cited status &
Cited as invasive &
Cited as cultivated &
Cited as aboriginal introduction?
Reference &
Comments
Australia
Australia (continental)
New South Wales native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia
Australia (continental)
Australia (continental) native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Victoria
Australia
Australia (continental)
Queensland native
U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand (country) native
Allan, H. H. (1982) (p. 321)
"Lowland to montane shrubland and forest, especially marginal, throughout".

Comments:  Other members of this genus, including L. laevigatum and L. polygalifolium, are also potentially invasive. See also listing for Leptospermum scoparium.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Kunzea ericoides, please let us know.


Need more info? Have questions? Comments? Information to contribute? Contact PIER! (pier@hear.org)

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This page was created on 1 JAN 1999 and was last updated on 17 MAY 2013.