Melaleuca dempta

Last updated

Melaleuca dempta
Melaleuca dempta (leaves, flowers, fruits).JPG
M. dempta leaves, flowers and fruit
Status DECF P3.svg
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. dempta
Binomial name
Melaleuca dempta
Synonyms [1]

Melaleuca calycina subsp. dempta Barlow

Melaleuca dempta is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub resembling Melaleuca calycina with its heads of white flowers and egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Melaleuca calycina subsp. dempta but it lacks the star-like fruits of that species and its leaves have a blunt rather than a pointed tip.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca dempta is a shrub often growing to about 2.2 m (7 ft) high with the branches glabrous except when very young. Its leaves are arranged in alternating pairs at right angles to the leaves above and below so that the leaves are in four rows along the stems. The leaves are 4.2–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, 2.5–6.2 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide, broadly elliptic, egg-shaped or heart-shaped with the end tapering to a rounded point. [1] [2]

The flowers are white and arranged in heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The heads are up to 18 mm (0.7 in) in diameter with up to 4 individual flowers. The petals are 2.6–2.9 mm (0.10–0.11 in) long and fall off as the flower ages. There are five bundles of stamens around the flower, each with 22 to 29 stamens. Flowering occurs mainly in September but may continue to February and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 4.6–6.2 mm (0.18–0.24 in) long with five blunt teeth persisting around the edge. (These teeth are long in Melaleuca calycina giving its fruit a star shape when viewed end-on.) [1] [2]

M. dempta at the type location near Scaddan Melaleuca dempta (habit).JPG
M. dempta at the type location near Scaddan

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 1988 as Melaleuca calycina subsp. dempta Barlow by B.A.Barow and K.J. Cowley. [3] It was raised to species status in 1999 by Lyndley Craven. [4] [5] The specific epithet (dempta) is from the Latin demptus, meaning "to take away or remove", referring to the lack of long, curved teeth around the fruit. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca dempta occurs in and between the Scaddan, Gibson and Dalyup River districts [1] [2] in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions. [6] It grows in dense scrub in sandy soil in swampy areas and on the edges of clay pans. [1] [2]

Conservation status

Melaleuca dempta is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife [6] meaning that it is known from only a few locations but is not currently in imminent danger. [7]

Related Research Articles

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.

Melaleuca eximia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its leaf arrangement, its large, showy red inflorescences and the large, furry bracts under the flowers.

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

Melaleuca hnatiukii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a medium to large shrub with arching branches, prickly tipped leaves and creamy-white heads of flowers in spring or early summer.

Melaleuca keigheryi is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae with white, papery bark and is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. In spring, it has heads of pink flowers which fade in color to become white.

<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 longistaminea</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca longistaminea is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small, prickly, heart-shaped leaves and heads of yellow to green flowers on the sides of the stems in winter and spring. It is similar to Melaleuca spectabilis which was formerly included in this species but has smaller flowerheads and narrower leaves.

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

Melaleuca orbicularis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca cordata with its pinkish "pom-pom" heads of flowers but its leaves are smaller, almost circular compared to the heart shaped leaves of the other species.

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

Melaleuca osullivanii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was first formally described in 2004 after a review of the broombush group, Melaleuca uncinata. It differs from others in the group by having leaves that are fine and circular in cross section. The closest other broombrush is Melaleuca hamata whose leaves are 0.8–1.6 mm (0.03–0.06 in) in diameter compared to 0.7–0.9 mm (0.03–0.04 in) for this species.

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

Melaleuca podiocarpa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with prickly foliage and small heads of white flowers mostly hidden within the foliage.

<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 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 wonganensis</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca wonganensis is an erect shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves and purple to deep mauve flowers and is restricted in its distribution to the Wongan Hills district.

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

Melaleuca coccinea, commonly known as the goldfields bottlebrush is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic the south of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its unusual foliage and bottlebrush spikes of red flowers.

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

Melaleuca calycina is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a stiff, erect shrub with oval to heart-shaped leaves, white flowers and star-shaped fruit.

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

Melaleuca dichroma is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is unusual for its genus in that its flowers are yellow or creamy-white but age to a pinkish-red.

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

Melaleuca lateriflora, commonly known as gorada, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually an erect shrub with oval leaves and small clusters of white flowers mainly along the older branches.

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

Melaleuca pauperiflora, commonly known as boree, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is native to the southern parts of South Australia and Western Australia. It is distinguished by its short, thick leaves and small but profuse heads of white or cream flowers. There are three subspecies.

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

Melaleuca spectabilis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was formerly known as a subspecies of Melaleuca longistaminea. It is a low, prickly shrub with yellow or lime-green flowers in spring and early summer.

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

Melaleuca ulicoides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a small, densely foliaged shrub with small heads of white or cream flowers in spring. It is closely related to Melaleuca marginata but can be distinguished from it by the number and character of leaf veins.

Melaleuca calcicola is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It was formerly known as a subspecies of Melaleuca apodocephala but was reassessed in 2010 and raised to species status. Its branches are corky, the leaves pointed although not prickly and the flowers are creamy white, tipped with yellow.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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. 143. ISBN   9781922137517.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. p. 44. ISBN   1876334983.
  3. "Melaleuca calycina subsp. dempta". APNI. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  4. "Melaleuca dempta". APNI. Retrieved 3 May 2015.
  5. 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): 872. doi:10.1071/SB98019.
  6. 1 2 "Melaleuca dempta". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  7. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 31 March 2020.