Persoonia glaucescens

Persoonia glaucescens is an erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–1.6 m (1 ft 8 in – 5 ft 3 in), sometimes to 3 m (9.8 ft), with smooth bark, brownish red branches and branchlets that are covered with greyish hairs when young. The leaves are narrow spatula-shaped to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, strongly glaucous, especially when young, 30–80 mm (1.2–3.1 in) long, 4–18 mm (0.16–0.71 in) wide and twisted through 90° at the base. The flowers are arranged in groups of up to thirty along a rachis up to 190 mm (7.5 in) long, each flower on a hairy pedicel 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. The tepals are yellow, 11–12 mm (0.43–0.47 in) long and sparsely to moderately hairy on the outside. Flowering occurs from January to May and the fruit is a fleshy green drupe with purple markings, and contain a single seed. This species is the only persoonia in eastern Australia to have strongly glaucous leaves.

Mittagong geebung occurs in small scattered patches in an area bordered by Buxton to the north and Berrima to the south, having vanished from the vicinities of Thirlmere Lakes and Fitzroy Falls. It grows on clay and gravel soils over laterite on upper slopes and ridges, at altitudes between 400 and 650 m (1,310 and 2,130 ft). It is found in dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest with such trees as red bloodwood (Corymbia gummifera), scribbly gum (Eucalyptus sclerophylla), Sydney peppermint (E. piperita), silvertop ash (E. sieberi), narrow-leaved stringybark (E. sparsifolia), grey gum (E. punctata) and, at higher elevations, snow gum (E. pauciflora). The increased light and lack of competing plants means the species adapts preferably to (and can be found on) road verges.