Descriptions of Registered Cultivars
(Syn: Callistemon 'Moonbeam')
ORIGIN: Callistemon 'White Anzac' is a form of Callistemon citrinus collected from a wild population on Anzac Cove, NSW. The cultivar was first received by the Authority in February 1981. Registration applied for by the Tree and Shrub Growers of Victoria, P O Box 294, Mordialloc, 3195.
DESCRIPTION: This cultivar is a sprawling shrub to 1m tall by 3m across. The leaves are about 6cm long by 1cm wide and are lanceolate in shape. The flowers are a pure white, often in inflorescence clusters of three, aging to a creamy white. The inflorescences are from 10 to 15cm long by 6cm in diameter. The flowering season is from November to January.
DIAGNOSIS: C. citrinus varies markedly both in size and flower colour in natural populations. Callistemon 'White Anzac' can be distinguished by its low sprawling habit and white flowers. While examining this cultivar, another similar C. citrinus cultivar was found - Callistemon 'Moonbeam'. Callistemon 'Moonbeam' was submitted to ACRA by Mr W Cane of Maffra,Victoria, in April 1964. In later correspondence (February 1978). Mr Cane remembers "collecting a white flowered C. citrinus near Anzac Cove, it was a low growing form and came into the trade after it left me as C. citrinus 'Anzac'". The specimen of Callistemon 'Moonbeam' clearly indicates in Mr Canes's handwriting that it was collected near a large hospital on Anzac Cove. Specimens and descriptions of both these cultivars match very closely and it is highly likely that they are the same clonal material. Even if they are not, the form and flower colour warrant being regarded as the same cultivar. Therefore, any material being grown under the names C 'Anzac', C. citrinus 'Anzac', C 'Moonbeam' or C. citrinus 'Moonbeam' should now be known as Callistemon 'White Anzac'. It would be normal practice to use the original name of Callistemon 'Moonbeam' but this name does not appear to be widely accepted or used to any degree. Callistemon 'White Anzac' has been widely marketed under that name, therefore Article 46 of the Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants has been instigated. This Article allows the retention of the name in common usage if the use of a previous name would lead to confusion.
COLOUR CODE: RHS Colour Code 1966 edition.
anthers: yellow green group 153B.
filaments: white group 155D.
COMPARATIVE SPECIMEN: C. citrinus 'Moonbeam' ACRA Accession Number 030 (CBG 068898).
CULTIVATION NOTES: Cultivation requirements and adaptibility to cultivation is as for C. citrinus. Vegetative propagation must be used to preserve the cultivar form.
PREVIOUS PUBLICATION: The cultivar has been widely advertised in trade and garden journals.
ACRA REFERENCES: ACC239, ACRA063, CBG8405338
ACCEPTED FOR REGISTRATION ON: 27 October 1986