| Melaleuca bracteosa | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Melaleuca |
| Species: | M. bracteosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Melaleuca bracteosa | |
Melaleuca bracteosa is a low, spreading shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has tiny, fleshy, non-prickly leaves and cream flowerheads.
Melaleuca bracteosa is sometimes an erect shrub to a height of 1.5 metres (5 ft) but is more usually a low, dense spreading shrub to about 0.5 m (2 ft). Its leaves are narrow oval in shape, 2.7–9 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long and 0.9–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in), glabrous, bright green and fleshy with a blunt tip.
The flowers are usually bright cream coloured but sometimes white or mauve-pink. They are in heads, sometimes on the ends of branches and sometimes on the sides of the stem, each head about 16 mm (0.6 in) in diameter and containing 5 to 20 individual flowers. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 3 to 8 stamens. The flowering season lasts from August to November and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 2.4–3.2 mm (0.09–0.1 in) long. [2] [3]
This species was first formally described in 1847 by the Russian botanist Nikolai Turczaninow in Bulletin de la classe physico-mathematique de l'Academie Imperiale des sciences de Saint-Petersburg. [4] [5] The specific epithet (bracteosa) is from the Latin bractea, meaning bract, referring to the persistent bracts of the flowers. [3]
This melaleuca occurs from the Pingrup district south to Albany and east to Ravensthorpe in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee biogeographic regions. [6] It grows in sand, loam or clay on winter-wet flats or plains [7] often under low trees or tall shrubs. [2]
Melaleuca bracteosa is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [6]
This species produces sesquiterpene oils at a rate of 0.3% (weight for weight) from fresh leaves. [3]
Darwinia leiostyla is an erect shrub in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It typically grows to a height of 0.3–1.5 m and has linear leaves up to about 10 mm (0.39 in) long crowded along the branches. Pendent, bell-shaped, flower-like inflorescences appear from May to January. These are clusters of small flowers surrounded by larger pink, red or white, petal-like bracts.
Melaleuca brevifolia, commonly known as mallee honey-myrtle, short-leaf honey-myrtle, or d'Alton's melaleuca is a shrub or tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is native to western Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with rough, corky bark and a large number of heads of white to yellowish flowers on the previous season's growth. It is a moderately hardy garden plant.
Melaleuca apodocephala is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, bushy shrub with crowded, grey-green leaves, corky bark and a profusion of creamy-yellow flowers on the sides of the branches.
Melaleuca adnata, commonly known as sandhill honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tall shrub with papery bark and spikes of white flowers in spring and early summer.
Melaleuca laxiflora, commonly known as narrow-leaved paperbark, is a woody, spreading shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its loosely arranged, mostly lateral pink flower spikes and its smooth, fleshy, oil-dotted leaves. It is often cultivated because of its hardiness and attractive flowers.
Melaleuca cucullata is a large shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its species name alludes to the shape of the leaves which resemble miniature academics' hoods.
Melaleuca depauperata is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has small, fleshy leaves and purple to pink flowers on short stalks along the branches.
Melaleuca lateralis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a showy shrub, well suited to horticulture, distinguished by its very small leaves and small clusters of pink flowers along the older stems.
Melaleuca macronychia is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its large, red flower spikes and long flowering period contribute to its popularity as a garden plant. There are two subspecies, distinguished mainly by the shape of the leaves.
Melaleuca lutea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. This species was previously known as Melaleuca citrina but was renamed to allow Callistemon citrinus to be moved to the genus Melaleuca. It is distinguished by its oval shaped, dense heads of yellow flowers and bushy foliage.
Melaleuca rigidifolia is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca plumea with its pink or purple flowers but is distinguished from that species by its lack of fluffy hairs on the flowers and its spherical clusters of fruits.
Melaleuca sparsiflora is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It generally grows in heavy soils on the edges of salt lakes and has only one or two flowers at the ends of it branches, unlike the many-flowered heads or spikes of others in the genus Melaleuca.
Melaleuca subfalcata is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It has fibrous bark and pink to purple flowers in spikes, mostly on the side branches.
Melaleuca thyoides, commonly known as salt lake honey-myrtle is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with grey, papery or fibrous bark and very small, overlapping leaves on thin branchlets. It is a salt tolerant species often found on the edges of salt lakes.
Calothamnus affinis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, compact, or spreading shrub with red to purple flowers in spring.
Beaufortia puberula, commonly known as hairy-leaved beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub growing to a height of about 2 m (7 ft) with hairy young leaves and heads of hairy, pink or red flowers during most of the year.
Conothamnus aureus is a member of the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a spindly, straggly shrub with rigid, blunt leaves and spherical heads of golden yellow flowers resembling those of wattles.
Leptospermum incanum is a species of compact shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hairy young stems, elongated egg-shaped leaves on a short petiole, relatively large white or pink flowers and fruit that fall from the plant when mature.
Leptospermum nitens is a species of slender shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has thin, fibrous bark, narrow egg-shaped to wedge-shaped leaves, white or pink flowers on short side branches and fruit with the sepals attached but that falls from the plant shortly after the seeds reach maturity.
Leptospermum oligandrum is a species of erect, spreading shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has broadly egg-shaped to wedge-shaped leaves, white flowers arranged singly or in groups of up to three on the ends of short side branches and fruit that fall from the plant shortly after the seeds are released.