Sannantha virgata | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Sannantha |
Species: | S. virgata
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Binomial name | |
Sannantha virgata | |
Synonyms | |
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Sannantha virgata is a flowering shrub species in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It is endemic to New Caledonia. Plants grow to between 0.5 and 3 metres high. White flowers appear in spring or summer with 5 rounded petals surrounding 7 to 10 stamens. The fruits are 1–2 mm wide and 2–3 mm in length. [1]
The species was first formally described in 1775 as Leptospermum virgatum. In 1810 it was placed in the genus Baeckea. [2] By 1997 an Australian Baeckea virgata species complex had been identified which was regarded as separate from the New Caledonian population. From this complex, 8 separate species were identified and placed in the genus Babingtonia. In 2007, the species were placed in the newly created genus Sannantha and assigned the following names: [3] [2]