Kunzea montana

Kunzea montana is a shrub, sometimes a small tree growing to a height of 2 m (7 ft), with rigid branches. The leaves are glabrous, egg-shaped to almost circular, mostly 2.5–4.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide, not including the petiole which is a further 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) long.[2]

The flowers are arranged in spherical groups of 18 to 32, on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The flowers are cream-coloured to pale yellow and are surrounded by glabrous, egg-shaped bracts and bracteoles. The floral cup and sepals are each about 1 mm (0.04 in) long and the five petals are egg-shaped to almost round and 2–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. There are about 50 to 70 stamens which are about twice as long as the petals and a style about 7 mm (0.28 in) long. Flowering occurs in October and November and is followed by fruit which are urn-shaped capsules about 6 mm (0.2 in) long.[2]

Kunzea montana growing on Mount Trio in the Stirling Range National Park

This species was first formally described in 1904 by Ludwig Diels as a variety of Kunzea recurva and the description was published in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie.[3][4] In 1923, Karel Domin raised it to species status, publishing the change in Vestnik Kralovske Ceske Spolecnosti Nauk, Trida Matematiko-Prirodevedecke.[1] The specific epithet (montana) is a Latin word meaning "of mountains".[5]

Mountain kunzea only grows on rocky slopes and near rock outcrops in the Stirling Range National Park.[2][6]

Kunzea montana is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. Although uncommon, all populations are conserved in a national park.[2][6]