Leptospermum whitei

Leptospermum whitei is a species of shrub that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has fibrous, flaky bark, elliptical leaves, white flowers arranged in small groups on the ends of short side branches, and fruit that falls from the plant when mature.

Description
Leptospermum whitei is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 3 m or more with reddish brown, fibrous or flaky bark, the younger stems covered with soft hairs. The leaves are elliptical, up to 25 mm long and 3–4 mm wide with a blunt point and tapering to a very short petiole. The flowers are white with several together on short side shoots, each flower about 10 mm wide. The floral cup is densely covered with short, silky hairs, and about 2–3 mm long. The sepals are hairy, oblong to hemispherical, about 1.5 mm long, the petals 3–5 mm long and the stamens about 1.5 mm long. Flowering mainly occurs from October to January and the fruit is a capsule about 3–4 mm with the remains of the sepals attached, but which fall from the plant when mature.

Taxonomy and naming
This tea-tree was formally described in 1920 by Cyril Tenison White and William D. Francis who gave it the name Agonis elliptica and published the description in the Botany Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture, Queensland from specimens collected by Francis near Beerwah. In 1932, Edwin Cheel transferred the species to the genus Leptospermum, but since there was already a species L. ellipticum (now known as Pericalymma ellipticum), Cheel changed the name to L. whitei'', honouring C.T.White.

Distribution and habitat
Leptospermum whitei grows in swampy, coastal heath between Wide Bay in Queensland and Coffs Harbour in New South Wales.