Shrub or tree to 5 m tall. Leaves narrowly elliptic to almost round, mostly 1-2 cm long, 2-7 mm wide, margins with minute teeth, tip sharply pointed. Flowers 1-1.5 cm wide with a 1 mm stalk; spring and summer. Petals white. Ovary of 5 chambers. Fruit 6-10 mm wide, persistent.

NSW, Vic, Tas, New Zealand.

L. continentale J.Thompson, Prickly Tea-tree, from SA, NSW and Vic, is similar but with narrower leaves broadest near the base, not the middle; a pink-flowered form exists. The distinction between L. continentale, L. juniperinum and L. scoparium is not always clear: L. juniperinum Sm., Prickly Tea-tree, from Qld and NSW has leaves directed upwards; L. liversidgei Bak. & Sm., Olive Tea-tree, has lemon-scented leaves; and L. squarrosum Gaertn., Peach-blossom Tea-tree, from NSW has particularly large, often pink flowers 1-2 cm wide.

Source: Spencer, R. (2002). Myrtaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.