Melaleuca fabri

Last updated

Melaleuca fabri
Melaleuca fabri.jpg
Foliage, flowers and fruit of Melaleuca fabri
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. fabri
Binomial name
Melaleuca fabri

Melaleuca fabri is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It features strap-like leaves with distinct veins and spikes of pinkish flowers, the buds of which are covered with short, soft, silky hairs.

Contents

habit in the Perenjori Nature Reserve Melaleuca fabri habit.jpg
habit in the Perenjori Nature Reserve

Description

Melaleuca fabri is a shrub growing to 1.5 m (5 ft) tall with leathery, strap-like leaves that are arranged alternately, 35–110 mm (1–4 in) long, 6.5–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) wide. The leaves are flat but slightly wavy, with the end tapering to a sharp point and there are 3 or 5 (sometimes 7) distinct parallel veins. [1] [2]

The flowers are a shade of pink to purple and are arranged in spikes on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering, often also on the sides of the branches. The spikes are up to 35 mm (1 in) in diameter and composed of 12 to 18 groups of flowers in threes. The outer edge of floral cup and the parts of the flowers covering the buds are covered with short, soft, silky white hairs. The petals are 2.3–4 mm (0.09–0.2 in) long and fall off as the flower ages. There are five bundles of stamens around the flower, each with 9 to 13 stamens. Flowering occurs in spring and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 3–4.5 mm (0.12–0.18 in) long, in tight clusters along the stem. [1] [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca fabri was first formally described in 1999 by Lyndley Craven in Australian Systematic Botany from a specimen collected south of Morawa. [3] [4] The specific epithet (fabri) is from the Latin faber meaning "craftsman” or "smith" in honour of the Smith family who have helped botanists studying the flora of the Wongan Hills and Manmanning districts. [4]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs in and between the Morawa, Perenjori, Wubin and Mount Gibson districts [1] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains and Yalgoo biogeographic regions [5] where it grows in shrubland, mallee and on roadsides in sand or sandy loam. [6]

Conservation status

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

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.

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

Melaleuca clavifolia 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 tinkeri, with "pom-pom" heads of pinkish flowers and soft, silky hairs on the new growth but it has larger flower heads and its leaves are shorter, more club-shaped and have less distinct oil glands.

Melaleuca eulobata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub resembling Melaleuca campanae with its heads of pink flowers in late spring but is distinguished from that species by its sepals - in M. campane these are reduced to a ring of tissue but M. eulobata has distinct calyx lobes.

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 glena</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca glena is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is similar to the commonly cultivated Melaleuca nesophila with its purple "pom-pom" flower heads but is a smaller shrub with the inflorescences much more often on the sides of the branches and only occasionally on the ends.

Melaleuca grieveana is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca brophyi with its heads of yellow flowers and almost cylindrical leaves. The main difference is that the leaves of this species, but not those of Melaleuca brophyi are covered with soft hairs.

<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 idana is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with fine, silky hairs covering the new foliage and heads of pink to deep purple flowers in early spring. It is similar to Melaleuca sapientes, differing mainly in the shape of the leaves in cross-section and the length of its styles.

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

Melaleuca laetifica is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. It has unusual warty, hairy leaves and heads of bright yellow flowers in spring. It is one of the brightest yellow flowering melaleucas and deserves a place in gardens in semi-dry to temperate areas.

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

Melaleuca leuropoma is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small to medium-sized shrub which flowers over an extended period with flower colour varying from purple to yellow or white. The glossy, often brown petals covering the flower buds are also an unusual characteristic of this species.

<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 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.

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 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.

Melaleuca stramentosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, bushy shrub similar to Melaleuca similis with its cylindrical leaves and heads of pink to purple flowers but differs in have matted, woolly hairs around the flowers and on the young leaves.

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

Melaleuca tinkeri is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is one of the smallest melaleucas and is distinguished by its warty, hairy leaves, heads of pinkish flowers in late winter to spring and its spherical fruiting clusters.

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

Melaleuca apostiba is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was first described in 1990 by Kirsten Cowley and remains a poorly known species. It resembles Melaleuca lateritia except for its hairy leaves and flower structures as well as its leaf shape and size.

Melaleuca sericea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the north of Western Australia and the north-west of the Northern Territory. It is a paperbark similar to Melaleuca dealbata but its leaves are covered with silky hairs, the flowers are whitish by comparison and it does not grow as tall as that species.

Melaleuca genialis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare species, known from one nature reserve. It is similar to Melaleuca tinkeri, mainly differing from it in having hairy leaves and petals.

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

Melaleuca glauca, commonly known as Albany bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tall shrub with glaucous leaves and spikes of red flowers in spring.

References

  1. 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. 161. 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. pp. 108–109. ISBN   1876334983.
  3. "Melaleuca fabri". APNI. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 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): 876. doi:10.1071/SB98019.
  5. 1 2 "Melaleuca fabri". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 393. ISBN   0646402439.