Melaleuca conothamnoides | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Melaleuca |
Species: | M. conothamnoides |
Binomial name | |
Melaleuca conothamnoides | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Melaleuca cordata var. ovata Ewart |
Melaleuca conothamnoides is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its relatively large leaves, prominent oil glands and unusual bracts covering the flower buds before they open.
Melaleuca conothamnoides is a woody, branching shrub about 1.5 m (5 ft) high and 1.0 m (3 ft) wide. Its leaves are arranged alternately, are lance-shaped to oblong or elliptic in shape, mostly 24–45 mm (0.9–2 in) long and 4–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide, usually with prominent oil glands and 3 to 5 parallel veins. [3] [4]
The flowers are arranged in heads or short spikes, mostly at the ends of the branches which continue to grow after flowering but sometimes also in the upper leaf axils. The heads contain 8 to 15 groups of flowers in threes and are up to 35 mm (1 in) in diameter. The flower buds are covered with overlapping greenish-black bracts. The petals are 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long and fall off as the flowers open. The stamens are in five bundles around the edge of the flower, each bundle containing 7 to 9 purple or pinkish-mauve stamens. The main flowering season is from September to November [4] but has been recorded as early as August and as late as January. [3] After flowering, the fruit develop as roughly spherical or oval groups of woody capsules. [4] [3] [5]
This species was first formally described in 1964 by Charles Austin Gardner in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia from a specimen he collected himself about 5 kilometres (3 mi) west of Tammin on a sandy, gravelly plain. [6] The specific epithet (conothamnoides) refers to the similarity of this species to one in the genus Conothamnus . [3] The ending -oides is a Latin suffix meaning "resembling" or "having the form of". [7]
This melaleuca is mainly found in sandy and gravelly soils in the drier wheatbelt between Tammin and Morawa [4] [5] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions. [8] [9]
Melaleuca conothamoides is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [9]
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Melaleuca penicula is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a rare species only known from the Fitzgerald River National Park and resembles Melaleuca eximia with its spikes of red flowers but its leaves and stamen bundles are different.
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Melaleuca filifolia, commonly called wiry honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a woody, twiggy shrub with needle-shaped leaves, greenish flower buds, pink "pom-pom" flower heads and spherical clusters of fruits.
Melaleuca haplantha is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was first described as a new species in 1988 when Bryan Barlow undertook a review of Melaleuca cuticularis and found it to include 13 separate species.
Melaleuca holosericea is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, rare shrub similar to other pink-flowered species in the Melaleuca scabra group.
Melaleuca platycalyx is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, twiggy shrub with short spikes of purple or pink flowers in spring. The distinguishing features of this species include petals that are bent downwards, an unusually large number of stamens in each flower and unusually large fruits arranged in alternating pairs.
Melaleuca psammophila is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with narrow leaves, heads of purple, pink or mauve flowers and clusters of woody fruit. It is similar to M. bisulcata but differs from that species in characters such as the shape of its fruit, leaves and buds but like that species is an attractive, profusely flowering shrub suitable for cultivation as a garden plant.
Melaleuca seriata is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. In describing it, John Lindley wrote "Melaleuca seriata, parviceps, and trichophylla, are bushes, every twig of which is terminated by hemispherical heads of a brilliant pink." It is very similar to Melaleuca parviceps.
Melaleuca spathulata is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a well known garden shrub featuring dark green leaves against light-coloured foliage, many twisted branches and profuse heads of bright pink "pom pom" flower heads in spring or early summer.
Melaleuca spicigera is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has wavy, stem-clasping, blue-green leaves and spikes of pink flowers in spring.
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