Melaleuca foliolosa

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Melaleuca foliolosa
Melaleuca foliolosa 01.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. foliolosa
Binomial name
Melaleuca foliolosa
Synonyms [1]

Myrtoleucodendron foliolosum(A.Cunn. ex Benth.) Kuntze

Contents

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.

Description

Melaleuca foliolosa is a tree growing up to 10 m (30 ft) tall with white or greyish papery bark and a bushy crown. Its leaves are arranged in alternating pairs (decussate) and are 2.0–3.2 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long and 0.8–1.8 mm (0.03–0.07 in) wide. They are almost triangular in shape and pressed against the stem so that they almost overlap.

The flowers are cream to greenish white and arranged in short spikes or almost spherical heads in the upper leaf axils. Each head contains 2 to 8 individual flowers and is up to 15 mm (0.59 in) in diameter. The petals are 1.8–2.0 mm (0.07–0.08 in) long and fall off as the flower opens. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 20 to 35 stamens. Flowers appear from April to October and are followed by fruit which are woody capsules 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) long. [2] [3]

Habit at Keatings Lagoon, Cooktown, Queensland Melaleuca foliolosa 03.JPG
Habit at Keatings Lagoon, Cooktown, Queensland
Fruit Melaleuca foliolosa 02.JPG
Fruit

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca foliolosa was first formally described in 1866 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis from a specimen collected by Allan Cunningham at Cape Flinders. [4] [5] The specific epithet (foliolosa) is from the Latin word folium meaning "leaf", hence foliolose, referring to the numerous, small leaves of this species. [2]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca is found throughout the Cape York Peninsula growing in woodland and savannah in sand, clay and near coastal salt pans. [2] It forms a low shrubland on the margins of saline flats near the Annan River. [6]

Ecology

Melaleuca foliolosa is host to the mistletoe species Amyema herbertiana and Notothixos incanus . [7] It is also an important component of the environment of the endangered Golden-shouldered parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius). [8]

Related Research Articles

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

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Melaleuca undulata, commonly known as hidden honey-myrtle is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a spreading, moderately dense, perennial, woody shrub with creamy-white flowers in small clusters.

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

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Melaleuca densa is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy shrub with profuse cream, yellow or greenish flowers and overlapping leaves on the youngest shoots.

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

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

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

Melaleuca acutifolia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has small, pointed, oval leaves and in summer, heads of white flowers. The species was originally described as a variety of Melaleuca lateriflora but was raised to species status in 2010.

<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.

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

Melaleuca thyoides, commonly known as salt lake honey-myrtle is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with grey, papery or fibrous bark and very small, overlapping leaves on thin branchlets. It is a salt tolerant species often found on the edges of salt lakes.

<i>Beaufortia empetrifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia empetrifolia, commonly known as south coast beaufortia, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a highly branched shrub with small, crowded leaves and pinkish to purple flowers in small, bottlebrush-like spikes in the warmer months. It is similar to Beaufortia micrantha except that its leaves are slightly larger.

References

  1. 1 2 "Melaleuca foliolosa". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
  2. 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. 170. ISBN   9781922137517.
  3. Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. p. 192. ISBN   1876334983.
  4. "Melaleuca foliolosa". APNI. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  5. Bentham, George (1866). "Melaleuca foliolosa". Flora Australiensis. 3 (21): 162. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  6. "Sclerophyll forests and woodland of the wet tropics bioregion" (PDF). West tropics management authority. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  7. Downey, Paul O. (1998). "An inventory of host species for each aerial mistletoe species (Loranthaceae and Viscaceae) in Australia" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 5 (3): 685–720. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  8. "National recovery plan for the golden-shouldered parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius)" . Retrieved 1 April 2015.