Micromyrtus ninghanensis

Micromyrtus ninghanensis is a species of the flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub with egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end toward the base, white flowers 3.0–3.5 mm in diameter, and 10 stamens in each flower.

Description
Micromyrtus ninghanensis is a low, spreading shrub that typically grows to 40 cm high and has its leaves densely arranged near the ends of branchlets. Its leaves are erect, egg-shaped to broadly egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 2.2–3.7 mm long and 1.1–1.4 mm wide on a petiole 0.4–0.5 mm long. The flowers are 3.0–3.5 mm in diameter, and arranged in between 2 and 15 upper leaf axils on a peduncle 0.7–0.8 mm long. The sepals are egg-shaped, 0.2–0.35 mm wide and pale brownish. The petals are white, very broadly egg-shaped with the narrower end towards the base and 1.3–1.6 mm long. There are 10 stamens in each flower, the anthers 0.3–0.35 mm long. Flowering occurs between September and late October, and the fruit is about 1.3 mm long and 0.9–1.0 mm wide, containing a single compressed seed.

Taxonomy
Micromyrtus ninghanensis was first formally described in 2002 by Barbara Lynette Rye in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected by Margaret Georgina Corrick in the Ninghan area, west-south-west of Paynes Find in 1984. The specific epithet (ninghanensis) refers to this species occurring in the Ninghan Station area.

Distribution and habitat
This species is apparently restricted to the Ninghan area in the Yalgoo bioregion of south-western Western Australia where it grows on a greenstone-granite hill in low open woodland.

Conservation status
Micromyrtus ninghanensis is listed as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk.