The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

HI All, has anybody got any information on whether this 'atypical' manuka flower might be related to differences in species or sub-species, or is a malformation, or related to environmental factors? The photo was brought to me by a member of the public. I've asked for more information about the location of the plant (apparently erect in form) and images of foliage and more flowers, but who know if they will eventuate.

Interestingly I was sent last week an image (via my work email) by another person who had observed this flower type in the Wairarapa. Its not that unusual - and the late Tony (A.P.) Druce even wrote about it occurrence on Mt Dun. I regard it as a sporadic 'sport'. It does seem to be genetically fixed (as people have grow this flower type from seed) but not of taxonomic merit. I have seen the same flower type around Auckland on another race of L. scoparium distinct from the one in the Wairarapa, and indeed the one Druce wrote about in the northern South Island.