AusBonsai

Hi everyone. Hoping some of the northen NSW members might be able to help with IDs for a couple of plants.
These were grown from seed collected while camping at the Smoky Cape campground near the Lighthouse in Hat Head National Park a few years ago. Not much to go on because no flowers yet but I'm hoping the location might narrow the options a bit. Any help would be appreciated.

Smoky Cape #1
Grew as a small, neat shrub up to about 1.5m tall on the tussocks in a swamp behind the dunes. This one has quite small leaves with a definite lemon scent. I'm pretty sure the next one is a Leptospermum. The parent trees were growing on a huge slab of solid rock on a dry hillside so they were probably a bit dwarfed at about 2m tall with lovely twisted trunks. The seedlings are already showing flaky bark. Any ideas???

.. he is an after all

Sori Shibui had to say it after all, first time i've seen u stumped

Could the first be a Kunzea ambigua? The second a Lepto. petersonii or a Callistemon salignus? Both appear to be in Myrtaceae. Can you confirm with the presence of oil dots if held up to a bright light?

Joel

I am from that area originally and love the place. Cant tell you how excited I got when I seen Hat Head national park come up in a topic. My favourite place and I will be there myself camping around christmas.

I was going to reply with what joel had said for both trees but was not sure enough to post. I am more confident with the Leptospermum petersonii than the Kunzea.

Good luck with the ID and maybe we will run in to each other at Hat Head one day. A magic part of the world.

Cheers

Squizz

I think South West Rocks is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Truly unique. The fishing is amazing. Same for Hat Head....many good memories

Thanks for the try Joel but I don't think any of your proposals quite match.
The leaves on #1 are a bit larger than Kunzea ambigua and have a lemon smell when crushed. Kunzea ambigua also occurs mostly Sydney and southward. This species appeared to be restricted to the swamp are though it was only growing on the peaty tussock lumps where it could get a hold just above the waterline.
I looked at L. petersonii for #1 because of the lemon scented leaves but foliage is much smaller and I don'y think the swamp habitat would suit Lepto.

#2 has leaves similar to L. petersonii but no lemon smell when leaves are crushed. Are there L.petersonii that do not have lemon smell? I'm pretty confident it is another Lepto sp. Definitely not Callistemon.

Both do appear to be Myrtacea though.

I agree Squizz and Jester - a lovely part of the world but a very long way from my home base so not likely to get there very often.

Shibui,

I was confident with leptospermum petersonii but there you go.

How about Kunzea capitata for the other one. My source tells me it grows in sandy soils through the nsw coast?

cheers

Squizz

Thanks Squizz, leaves are very similar in shape to those shown for Kunzea capitata, even the recurved tips but its leaves are described as 'The leaves of young plants are covered by dense hairs'. I think the ones I have are quite smooth - will check closer tomorrow. Habitat for K. capitata is ' sunny areas heath and open forest on sandy soils' no mention of swamps????

Still frustrated that neither has flowered yet. That would make it so much easier