General Description:

George Bentham in 1867 established a broad concept for the genus Baeckea but in recent years studies have shown that, because of differences in the group, many Baeckea species should be placed into other genera, including Ochrosperma, Triplarina, Babingtonia, Euryomyrtus, Kardomia, and Sannantha. Ochrosperma is a small genus of six species from New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory.  The genus was established in 1987¹.  Further information on the taxonomy of the genus Ochrosperma and related plants can be found in Geraldton Wax and its Relatives – Background.

Ochrosperma oligomerum is a small shrub up to 0.5 metres high and spreading to about 2 metres wide.  The leaves are elliptical to oval-shaped, about 3-4 mm long and 3 mm wide with a recurved tip.  The white, tea tree-like flowers are about 5 mm in diameter and occur singly or in pairs at the ends of short stalks. Flowering occurs in spring to early summer.

As far as is known, this species is not widely cultivated although its attractive flowers and low, spreading growth habit could make it a useful landscaping plant. It would be expected to be hardy in well drained soils in full sun or dappled shade. It should be tolerant of at least moderate frost.

Seed could be expected to germinate well without pretreatment. Cuttings of firm, current season’s growth should strike readily.

1. Trudgen Malcolm. E. (1987); Ochrosperma, a new genus of Myrtaceae (Leptospermeae, Baeckeinae) from New South Wales and Queensland. Nuytsia 6(1): 9–17 (1987)