Betka bottlebrush | |
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Callistemon |
Species: | C. kenmorrisonii
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Binomial name | |
Callistemon kenmorrisonii |
Callistemon kenmorrisonii, the Betka bottlebrush, is a shrub in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to the state of Victoria in Australia. [1]
Betka bottlebrush is an upright or angular spreading shrub which grows to between 1 and 3 metres in height and 1 to 4 metres in width. [2] It has grey bark which reveals white underneath after peeling. [2] Its new growth is initially pink, becoming blue-green and eventually green with a non-glossy sheen. [2] The stiff leaves are irregularly aligned as a result of twisted petioles. The crimson inflorescences appear predominantly between November and February in the species' native range. [2] These are followed by squat, woody fruits which become partially embedded into the stem. [2]
This species occurs in riparian scrub in an area of State forest on the upper Betka River near Genoa in East Gippsland. [1] There are two colonies with a total population of 90 to 130 plants. [1]
The species was first formally described in Muelleria in 1995 by Bill Molyneux. [3] The species is named in honour of Kenneth Eugene Morrison, a former ranger of the Croajingolong National Park. [2]