General Description:

Rinzia is a genus of 18 species of small to large shrubs. Most species occur in Western Australia but one extends to the Northern Territory and two species are found in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. The genus was originally established in 1843, resurrected in1986¹ and revised in 2017².  Further information on the taxonomy of the genus Rinzia and related plants can be found in Geraldton Wax and its Relatives – Background.

Rinzia communis is a small, spreading shrub to about 0.5 metres high and 1.2 metres wide.  The leaves are linear or narrowly oval shaped, about 2-5 mm long and 1 mm wide with a recurved tip.  The white or pink, tea tree-like flowers are up to 10 mm in diameter and occur singly at the ends of short stalks. Flowering occurs from winter through to spring.

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.

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

1. Trudgen, M.E. (1986a). Reinstatement and revision of Rinzia Schauer (Myrtaceae, Leptospermeae, Baeckeinae). Nuytsia 5: 415–439 (1986).
   
2. Rye B. L. (2017); An expanded circumscription and new infrageneric classification of Rinzia (Myrtaceae: Chamelaucieae). Nuytsia 28: 39-93 (2017).