Melaleuca brevifolia

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Mallee honey-myrtle
Melaleuca brevifolia.jpg
Melaleuca brevifolia near the Coorong
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. brevifolia
Binomial name
Melaleuca brevifolia
Synonyms [1]

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.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca brevifolia is a shrub, rarely a tree, growing to a height of 4 m (10 ft) with rough, corky bark. Its branches and leaves are glabrous except when young. Its leaves are arranged in pairs, sometimes in threes and are 2.4–8 mm (0.09–0.3 in) long, 0.7–1.5 mm (0.03–0.06 in) wide, linear to lance-shaped with the thinner end at the base and have blunt tips. On their lower surface there are two rows of raised oil glands. [2]

The flowers are white to yellowish and are arranged in heads on the previous season's growth. Each head is up to 18 mm (0.7 in) in diameter and contains up to six individual flowers. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flowers with 10 to 12 stamens in each bundle. The main flowering season is in spring and the fruits that follow are wrinkled, cup-shaped capsules 3.3–4.2 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and wide. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Melaleuca brevifolia was first formally described in 1852 by Nikolai Turczaninow in Repertorium Botanices Systematicae. [5] [6] The specific epithet (brevifolia) is derived from the Latin words brevis meaning "short" and folium meaning "leaf", referring to the small leaves. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs in the Mallee, Loddon and Wimmera regions of Victoria, [4] the south-east of South Australia [7] [8] and the south-west of Western Australia in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. [9] The species is found in swampy areas, near salt lakes [9] in heathlands and shrublands. [4]

Conservation status

This species is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [9]

Use in horticulture

Melaleuca brevifolia is a moderately hardy garden plant requiring good drainage and a sunny position. [10] It is useful for harsh conditions, including salty soils or those containing limestone. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Melaleuca wilsonii</i> Species of plant

Melaleuca wilsonii, commonly known as Wilson's honey-myrtle or violet honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, native to parts of South Australia and Victoria. It is a shrub with narrow, pointed leaves and heads of purplish-pink flowers on the sides of the branches. It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, frost hardy and often cultivated.

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.

<i>Melaleuca adnata</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Melaleuca blaeriifolia</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca blaeriifolia is an erect to spreading shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has small leaves and small greenish-yellow flowerheads.

<i>Melaleuca undulata</i> Shrub in the myrtle family endemic to the south of Western Australia

Melaleuca undulata, commonly known as hidden honey-myrtle is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a spreading, moderately dense, perennial, woody shrub with creamy-white flowers in small clusters.

<i>Melaleuca laxiflora</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Melaleuca bracteosa</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Melaleuca ciliosa</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca ciliosa is a small shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has bright or pale yellow flowers, an unusual calyx and leaves that are slightly hairy, especially around the edges.

<i>Melaleuca concinna</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca concinna is a small shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its species name translates as " neat" or "pretty" and it is distinguished by having many heads of pink flowers in late spring followed by spherical clusters of woody fruits.

<i>Melaleuca cucullata</i> Species of shrub

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 fissurata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with rough bark, dished leaves and heads of white or yellow flowers in spring. It is closely related to Melaleuca lateriflora but differs from it in having roughly textured, corky fruit and shorter, convex shaped leaves.

<i>Melaleuca lateralis</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Melaleuca macronychia</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Melaleuca pauciflora</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca pauciflora is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its decussate leaf arrangement and its small heads of white flowers on the sides of its branches are diagnostic. This is probably the least spectacular of all the melaleucas.

<i>Melaleuca rigidifolia</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Melaleuca sparsiflora</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Melaleuca suberosa</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca suberosa, commonly known as corky-bark honey-myrtle or corky honeymyrtle, is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a distinctive shrub, recognised by its tiny, crowded leaves, corky bark and pink flowers that appear along lengths of leafless parts of the branches.

<i>Melaleuca subfalcata</i> Species of shrub

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.

<i>Melaleuca thyoides</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Beaufortia cyrtodonta</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia cyrtodonta, commonly known as Stirling Range bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with crowded leaves which appear greyish due to their covering of fine, soft hairs. It has heads of red flowers in spring and occurs in the Stirling Range district.

References

  1. 1 2 "Melaleuca brevifolia". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Brophy, Joseph J.; Craven, Lyndley A.; Doran, John C. (2013). Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses. Canberra: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. p. 97. ISBN   9781922137517.
  3. 1 2 Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas: a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 34–35. ISBN   1876334983.
  4. 1 2 3 "Mallee Honey-myrtle". State Government of Victoria, Department of Environment and Primary Industries. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  5. "Melaleuca brevifolia". APNI. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  6. Turczaninow, Nikolai (1852). "Myrtaceae Xerocarpicae in Nova Hollandia". Bulletin de la classe physico-mathématique de l'Académie Impériale des sciences de Saint-Petersburg. 10: 342. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  7. Foulkes, J.N.; Heard, L.M.B. "South East Biological Survey: Conclusions and conservation recommendations" (PDF). Government of South Australia:Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  8. Horn, Troy. "Draft revised management plant:Deadmans Swamp Native Forest Reerve" (PDF). Government of South Australia:Forestry. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 "Melaleuca brevifolia". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  10. Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. p. 261. ISBN   0002165759.