Kunzea ambigua

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information:

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Eudicots > Rosids  >  Myrtales > Myrtaceae > Kunzea  ambigua

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:         White Kunzea

• Also, poverty bush or tick bush

Conservation status: ...

Etymology:   

• The generic name honours German naturalist Gustav Kunze

• The specific epithet is derived from the Latin adjective ambiguus meaning "doubtful" or "uncertain"

Flowers

• Occurring from September to December or January, the white flowers are 1.2 cm in diameter and sweetly fragrant

• The stamens are longer than the petals

Fruit:                            

• The flowers are followed by small woody capsules 0.4 cm in diameter

Leaves:         

• The narrow lanceolate green leaves are 0.5–1.3 cm in length and 0.2 cm wide, with hairy new growth

Stem & branches: 

• Its bark is fibrous and furrowed

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A small- to medium-sized spreading shrub that may reach 5 m both in height and width, though is usually much smaller (from 1 m)

Habitat:   

• It is found mainly on sandstone soils 

•  It grows on sandy soils in coastal or near-coastal regions

• It is a very common dry forest shrub of the Sydney region, and regenerates in disturbed or cleared areas

• It is associated with scrub she-oak (Allocasuarina distyla), Melaleuca nodosa, cheese tree (Glochidion ferdinandi) in heath or scrub, and with red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera), peppermint gum (Eucalyptus piperita), forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis), woolybutt (E. longifolia), thin-leaved stringybark (E. eugenioides), and white feather honeymyrtle (Melaleuca decora) in forested areas

• In Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, Kunzea ambigua is the dominant species within scattered areas of treeless heath that occur on granite hills and mountains

• Tasmania regularly experiences strong westerly winds and a high annual rainfall of over 700mm

• This harsh, windy and brisk climate is the ideal environment for the Kunzea ambigua plant to thrive

Distribution:                  

• Kunzea ambigua is found from northeastern New South Wales, having been recorded in the Grand High Tops of the Warrumbungle National Park, through Victoria and into Tasmania

• In recent times, it has been discovered that the Kunzea ambigua plant grows abundantly in Flinders Island and North East Tasmania

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy 

  • Kunzea ambigua is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae 

  • Kunzea ambigua was first formally described in 1797 by James Edward Smith who gave it the name Leptospermum ambiguum.[3] English botanist George Claridge Druce gave it its current binomial name in 1917.[4] 

  • A pale pink-flowered hybrid with Kunzea capitata has been recorded from Stony Range Flora reserve in Dee Why in Sydney's northern beaches region

• Ecology

  • Insects are the main pollinators of Kunzea ambigua; these include various types of beetles including jewel beetles (Buprestidae), scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae), flower beetles (Mordellidae), and checkered beetles (Cleridae)[11] as well as butterflies, flies, bees and wasps

  • The tick bush is killed by fire and regenerates from seed

  • Plants can also colonise unburnt sites with ample sunlight

• Use in horticulture

  • It was one of the first species of Australian plant introduced into cultivation in England

  • It is a hardy and adaptable plant that is used in windbreaks and sand dune stabilization plantings, as well as gardens, particularly in Australian gardens using native plants according to principles of natural landscaping

  • The species attracts Australian native insects, and can provide shelter for small birds and the long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta)

  • It can regenerate quickly after disturbance, suggesting it may have weedy potential if planted outside its natural range

• Therapeutic benefits

  • Kunzea ambigua is registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use in "Kunzea Pain Relief Cream" and "Vita Future Nasal Congestion Relief"

Sources of information:

• (2023)