Melaleuca condylosa

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Melaleuca condylosa
Melaleuca condylosa (leaves, flowers, fruits).JPG
Melaleuca condylosa leaves, flowers and fruit
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. condylosa
Binomial name
Melaleuca condylosa

Melaleuca condylosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca brophyi except that its fruiting clusters are often knobbly and the flower heads and leaves are slightly larger.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca condylosa is a shrub growing to a height of about 3 m (10 ft) with papery bark. Its leaves are alternately arranged, 9.5–32 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 1.3–2.1 mm (0.05–0.08 in) wide, more or less linear in shape, almost circular in cross-section and have a pointed, although not sharp end. [1] [2]

The flowers are in heads at the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. Each head is composed of 6 to 11 groups of flowers with three flowers in each group. The petals are 1.2–2.0 mm (0.05–0.08 in) long and fall off as the flower opens. There are five bundles of stamens around the flower, each with 5 to 7 pale yellow stamens giving the flower its colour. Flowering occurs mainly in October and November and is followed by almost spherical, knobbly clusters of woody capsules, each 2.0–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. [1] [2]

M. condylosa at the type location near Bendering Melaleuca condylosa (habit).JPG
M. condylosa at the type location near Bendering
M. condylosa bark Melaleuca condylosa (bark).JPG
M. condylosa bark

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca condylosa was first formally described in 1999 by Lyndley Craven from a specimen found "40.5 kilometres (30 mi) east along Bendering Reserve Road from the Bendering wheat bin". [3] [4] The specific epithet (condylosa) is from the Greek kondylos meaning "knob" or "prominence", referring to the knobbly fruit. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs in the Narembeen, Kondinin and Hyden districts [2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie and Mallee biogeographic regions. It grows in melaleuca-mallee shrubland in sandy loam on undulating sandplains and slopes. [2] [5]

Conservation status

Melaleuca condylosa is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [5]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Melaleuca linguiformis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a shrub with hairy new growth, small leaves and heads of white flowers similar to Melaleuca teuthidoides shorter sepals and more stamens in each flower.

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

Melaleuca phoidophylla is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its leaf arrangement, small raised blisters on the leaves and heads of white or cream flowers on the ends of the branches in spring.

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

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

Melaleuca ryeae is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub, closely resembling Melaleuca amydra with its small leaves and profuse heads of pink to purple flowers but M.amydra has narrower leaves and does not have spherical clusters of fruits.

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

Melaleuca sapientes is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with silky grey leaves and small heads of pinkish flowers in spring or early summer. The attractive, silvery foliage has made this melaleuca a popular garden plant under the incorrect name of Melaleuca holosericea, a similar but much rarer species.

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

Melaleuca scalena is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Plants of this species were previously included in Melaleuca uncinata or broombush until a review of that species in 2004. Its leaves are narrow cylinders, the flowers in small yellow heads and the fruits tightly packed together in oval clusters. This species is very similar to Melaleuca hamata but the plants have a comparatively scruffy or less strong and healthy appearance.

Melaleuca similis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub, similar to Melaleuca stramentosa with its narrow, almost cylindrical leaves and heads of pink to purple flowers but lacks the matted, silky hairs on the young leaves and outer edge of the flower cup.

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

Melaleuca societatis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a dwarf shrub with small, fleshy leaves and many heads of pink or purple flowers in spring, followed by "soccer-ball" fruit.

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

Melaleuca papillosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is one of the smallest species of Melaleuca, distinguished by its narrow, usually hairy, pimply leaves, small heads of pink to purple flowers surrounded by silky hairs and scattered rather than clustered fruits.

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

Melaleuca thapsina is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prickly shrub with fibrous or papery bark, yellow to cream coloured flowers and tightly packed cylinders of fruiting capsules.

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

Melaleuca protrusa is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with papery bark, narrow leaves with a hooked end and cream-coloured or yellow flowers. Although it was described as late as 2010, it is not considered a rare or endangered species. It resembles other members of the brushwood group such as M. uncinata, M. atroviridis and M. zeteticorum.

References

  1. 1 2 Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 38–39. ISBN   1876334983.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 129. ISBN   9781922137517.
  3. "Melaleuca condylosa". APNI. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  4. Craven, L. A.; Lepschi, B. J. (1999). "Enumeration of the species and infraspecific taxa of Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) occurring in Australia and Tasmania". Australian Systematic Botany. 12 (6): 869. doi:10.1071/SB98019.
  5. 1 2 "Melaleuca condylosa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.