Melaleuca clarksonii

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Alice River bottlebrush
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. clarksonii
Binomial name
Melaleuca clarksonii
Barlow

Melaleuca clarksonii, commonly known as Alice River bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca cajuputi and Melaleuca leucadendra with its broad leaves and spikes of creamy-coloured flowers but is distinguished from them by its (usually) hard, fibrous bark.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca clarksonii is a tree growing up to 10 m (30 ft) tall usually with hard, fibrous, but sometimes also papery bark. Its leaves are arranged alternately, 30–110 mm (1–4 in) long, 7–30 mm (0.3–1 in) wide, ovate to elliptical in shape, with a distinct petiole 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and 5 to 9 parallel veins. [1] [2] [3]

The flowers are white to greenish-cream coloured, in spikes on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The spikes are up to 18 mm (0.7 in) in diameter and contain 9 to 15 groups of 3 flowers per group. The sepals are 0.7–1.2 mm (0.03–0.05 in) long and the petals are 1.5–2.5 mm (0.06–0.1 in) long and fall of as the flower matures. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 6 to 9 stamens. Flowers appear in May and the fruit which follow are woody capsules 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long in loose clusters along the stems. [1] [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca clarksonii was first formally described in 1997 by Bryan Barlow in Novon [3] [4] from a specimen located in the Mitchell-Alice Rivers National Park. The specific epithet (clarksonii) honours John Richard Clarkson, a north Queensland botanist, who assisted in the collected of the type specimens. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca clarksonii is found in the Cape York Peninsula bioregion, including in the Mitchell-Alice Rivers National Park in the west, [3] the Jack Lakes in the south-east [5] and the Wenlock River district. [6] It grows in forests and woodlands, sometimes in pure stands, around swamps and clay pans in areas that are flooded in the wet season. [1] [3]

Related Research Articles

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

Melaleuca paludicola, commonly known as river bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with flexible, often drooping branches, pinkish new growth and spikes of cream, pale yellow, or sometimes pink flowers in summer.

<i>Melaleuca subulata</i>

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<i>Melaleuca recurva</i>

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<i>Melaleuca squamophloia</i>

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Melaleuca stipitata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is a rare species, only discovered in 1991 and is unusual in that it is the only known example of Melaleuca having stalked flowers. Its leaves have an essential oil with a pleasant, lemon scent possibly suitable for commercial production.

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<i>Melaleuca fluviatilis</i>

Melaleuca fluviatilis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to northern Queensland in Australia. It is a tree with papery bark, narrow leaves and spikes of white or creamy-coloured flowers, usually growing along streams and rivers. It is common in tropical areas and is sometimes confused with Melaleuca argentea although it lacks that species' silvery foliage.

<i>Melaleuca stenostachya</i>

Melaleuca stenostachya, commonly known as fibre-barked teatree or straight teatree is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is native to the Cape York Peninsula in northern Australia, the gulf country of the Northern Territory and the south of Papua New Guinea. It is closely related to Melaleuca dealbata but can be distinguished from that species by the wide separation of the flowers in the inflorescence.

<i>Melaleuca pyramidalis</i>

Melaleuca pyramidalis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to small areas of Queensland in Australia. It is closely related to Melaleuca citrina but is distinguished from it mainly by leaf and stamen differences. Melaleuca pyramidalis is only known from the summits of three mountains in Queensland.

<i>Melaleuca chisholmii</i>

Melaleuca chisholmii commonly known as Burra bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a shrub with rough bark, an open habit and spiky foliage but in winter has bright red flower spikes tipped with yellow.

<i>Melaleuca flammea</i>

Melaleuca flammea, commonly known as tapering-leaved bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a shrub with broad, lance-shaped leaves which have wavy edges and taper gradually to a fine point. In spring it has typical bottlebrush flowers whose fiery colour gives the species its name.

Melaleuca hemisticta, commonly known as Mount Wheeler bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to coastal areas of Queensland. It is a tall, bushy shrub with dark green leaves and red flowers spikes tipped with yellow.

Melaleuca lazaridis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the Blackdown Tableland National Park in Queensland.. It is a shrub with dark green leaves and red flowers spikes tipped with yellow.

Melaleuca montis-zamia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the Springsure district in Queensland, Australia. It is a shrub with red bottlebrush flowers.

<i>Melaleuca pearsonii</i>

Melaleuca pearsonii, commonly known as Blackdown bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland in Australia. It is a small, spreading but compact shrub with hard bark, soft foliage and profuse spikes of bottlebrush flowers in spring and summer.

Melaleuca phratra is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland in Australia. It is a large shrub similar to Melaleuca paludicola but has flower spikes that are a shade of pink.

<i>Melaleuca polandii</i>

Melaleuca polandii, commonly known as gold-tipped bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic a small area in far northern Queensland in Australia. It is a dense shrub with bronze-coloured, hairy new growth and spikes of red flowers tipped with yellow.

Melaleuca quercina, commonly known as Oakey bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of Queensland in Australia. It is small tree with dark, corky bark and spikes of yellow, cream or pink bottlebrush flowers in spring and summer.

<i>Melaleuca sabrina</i>

Melaleuca sabrina is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area near the border between New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a shrub with fibrous bark and red or pink bottlebrush flowers, tipped with yellow in spring and summer. It is similar to Melaleuca paludicola but distinguished from it by its stamens, which are almost twice as long as those of M. paludicola.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 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. 121. ISBN   9781922137517.
  2. 1 2 Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. p. 40. ISBN   1876334983.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Craven, Lyndley; Barlow, Bryan (1997). "New taxa and new combinations in Melaleuca (Myrtaceae)". Novon. 7 (1): 114–116. doi:10.2307/3392182. JSTOR   3392182 . Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  4. "Melaleuca clarksonii". APNI. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  5. "Jack Lakes Wetlands Biodiversity Assessment" (PDF). Cape York Marine Advisory Group Environmental. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  6. "Identification of Regional Nature Conservation Values in Cape York" (PDF). Queensland Government Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 2 May 2015.