Melaleuca fluviatilis

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

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.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca fluviatilis is a tree growing up to 30 m (100 ft) tall with white or greyish papery bark and weeping habit. Its leaves are arranged alternately, 45–180 mm (2–7 in) long and 5–19 mm (0.2–0.7 in) wide, very narrow elliptical in shape and with 5 to 7 parallel veins. Both surfaces of the leaf are covered with fine, soft hairs when young but become glabrous as they mature. [1] [2] [3]

The flowers are white to creamy green and arranged in spikes in the upper leaf axils. Each spike contains 3 to 18 groups of flowers in threes and is up to 100 mm (3.9 in) long and 40 mm (1.6 in) in diameter. The petals are 1.5–3.5 mm (0.06–0.1 in) long and fall off after the flower opens. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 3 to 9 stamens. Flowers appear from May to October and are followed by fruit which are woody capsules 2.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. [1] [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca fluviatilis was first formally described in 1997 by Bryan Barlow in Nomen from a specimen found in a sandy river bed north of Townsville. [3] [4] The specific epithet (fluviatilis) is a Latin adjective meaning "pertaining to rivers". [1]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca is found throughout the Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Gladstone and Biloela, and as far west as Croydon, Boodjamulla National Park and Forest Den National Park. It grows in a range of soils but usually along rivers and streams and the edges of swampy open forest, often in association with rainforest or dry sclerophyll species. [1] [2] [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Melaleuca linariifolia</i> Species of tree

Melaleuca linariifolia is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is commonly known as snow-in-summer, narrow-leaved paperbark, flax-leaved paperbark and in the language of the Gadigal people as budjur. A hardy plant, it flowers prolifically in late spring or summer, making it a popular garden shrub or small tree in temperate places. Melaleuca trichostachya is a similar species but its leaves are arranged differently and the fruits have projecting valves.

<i>Melaleuca preissiana</i> Species of tree

Melaleuca preissiana, commonly known as stout paperbark, modong or moonah, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to coastal areas of southwest Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with papery bark, small leaves and spikes of usually white flowers. It occurs chiefly in areas that are seasonally wet.

<i>Melaleuca ericifolia</i> Species of tree

Melaleuca ericifolia, commonly known as swamp paperbark, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and the genus Melaleuca, native to south-eastern Australia. It is a rather variable species and some specimens resemble Melaleuca armillaris but its papery bark and smaller, more prolific flower heads distinguish it from that species. It often grows in swampy areas and the draining and clearing of these has reduced the numbers of the species, especially around Port Philip Bay near Melbourne. It is also similar to Melaleuca pustulata, a Tasmanian endemic, but that species only grows in dry heath.

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

Melaleuca atroviridis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was formerly included in the species Melaleuca uncinata but a review of that species lead to the identification of a number of new species. Like M. uncinata, this species is used for the production of brushwood fencing. It has fewer stamens in the flowers and somewhat smaller clusters of fruit but has the same needle-like leaves with a hooked end and spikes of creamy yellow flowers in early summer.

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

Melaleuca croxfordiae is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the far south-west of corner Western Australia. It is a paperbark, usually growing in winter-wet places, with long, narrow leaves and a few small creamy coloured flower heads in early summer.

<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.

<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 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 squamophloia</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca squamophloia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the black soil plains of south eastern Queensland in Australia. Like its close relative Melaleuca styphelioides, it is a small, erect tree with prickly leaves and spikes of cream or white flowers but its bark is hard rather than papery and the leaves have fewer veins than that species.

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

Melaleuca strobophylla is a shrub or small tree in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has papery bark, sharply pointed, twisted leaves and rather long spikes of creamy white flowers in summer.

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

Melaleuca acacioides, commonly known as coastal paperbark and as lunyamad by the Bardi people, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is native to the northern parts of the Northern Territory, Cape York Peninsula and New Guinea. It is closely related to Melaleuca alsophila and Melaleuca citrolens, being differentiated from them by the number of flowers in a group. In this species, they are in groups of three. It is a small to medium-sized tree, sometimes with several trunks when growing in the open. It usually grows in areas with saline soils that are regularly flooded, often near mangroves.

<i>Melaleuca decora</i> Species of tree

Melaleuca decora, commonly known as the white feather honeymyrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is native to eastern Australia. It is a large shrub to small tree with papery bark, lance-shaped leaves and sweet-smelling, creamy-coloured flowers in summer. It grows in near-coastal forest and swamps in New South Wales and Queensland.

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.

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

Melaleuca dealbata, commonly known as karnbor or blue paperbark, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is native to tropical areas in northern Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia. It is a medium to large leafy tree, growing in wet areas such as on the edges of coastal lagoons. It has papery bark, relatively large, blue-green leaves and spikes of cream-coloured flowers over a long period.

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

Melaleuca argentea, commonly known as the silver cajuput, silver cadjeput or silver-leaved paperbark is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. It is a common tree along river banks or around swamps in the tropics. It has papery bark and weeping foliage and has been the subject of important scientific research.

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

Melaleuca foliolosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to northern Queensland in Australia. It is distinguished by it very small leaves which are pressed against the stem and almost overlap each other.

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

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.

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

Melaleuca ringens is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It shares some features with Melaleuca diosmifolia but has creamy yellow flower spikes and a lower, more spreading form.

<i>Melaleuca stenostachya</i> Species of tree

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 tamariscina</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca tamariscina, commonly known as bush-house paperbark or tamarix honey-myrtle is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to central Queensland in Australia. It grows to the height of a small tree with small, scale-like leaves that are pressed against the branches, and has a papery bark and a weeping habit.

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. 169. ISBN   9781922137517.
  2. 1 2 3 Jago, R.L. "Plant of the month: Melaleuca fluviatilis" (PDF). Society for Growing Australian Plants. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Craven, Lyndley A.; Barlow, Bryan A. (1997). "New taxa and combination in Melaleuca (Myrtaceae)". Novon. 7 (2): 116–118. doi:10.2307/3392182 . Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  4. "Melaleuca fluviatilis". APNI. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  5. "Sclerophyll forests and woodland of the wet tropics bioregion" (PDF). Wet tropics management authority. Retrieved 31 March 2015.