Micromyrtus blakelyi

Family: Myrtaceae
Distribution: A localised occurrence in heath north of Sydney, New South Wales.
Common Name: No generally accepted common name.
Conservation Status: Listed as Vulnerable under the EPBC Act* (ie. facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the medium-term future, as determined in accordance with prescribed criteria). Classified as 3VCi under the ROTAP* system.
Derivation of Name: Micromyrtus… From Greek micros, small and the genus Myrtus, generally referring to the small growth habit of most species.
blakelyi… After William F Blakely (1875-1941), formerly of the Sydney Botanic Gardens and later the National Herbarium of New South Wales (J.W.Green in Nuytsia 4(3): 329 (1983)).

General Description:

Micromyrtus is a small genus of about 22 species, all of which occur naturally only in Australia. M.ciliata is the best known member of the genus and is widely cultivated. M.blakelyi is a low, spreading shrub to about 0.5 metres high with narrow, linear leaves up to 4.5 mm long. In spring the small, pink flowers are cup-shaped with five petals and appear along the stems in the leaf axils.

Micromyrtus blakelyi is virtually unknown in cultivation but should be successful in sunny, or lightly shaded, well drained conditions.

Propagation can be carried out from seed, if available, and propagation from cuttings of hardened, current season’s growth should be successful.