Melaleuca lara

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

Melaleuca lara is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area on the west coast of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca ciliosa with its hairy young leaves and heads of yellow flowers ageing to red but there are fewer flowers in each head and the leaves are generally smaller.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca lara is a shrub sometimes growing to 1.5 m (5 ft) tall and wide with branchlets that have soft hairs at first but become glabrous with age. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 4.5–8.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long, 2.8–3.8 mm (0.11–0.15 in) wide, flat, elliptical or egg-shaped and covered with short, soft hairs, especially when young. The oil glands are distinct. [1] [2]

The flowers are bright yellow fading to red, arranged in heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering and sometimes also in the upper leaf axils. The heads are up to 25 mm (1 in) in diameter with 2 to 5 groups of flowers in threes. The petals are 1.9–3 mm (0.07–0.1 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 early spring and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules, 4–5.5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) long in loose clusters along the stem. [1] [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca lara was first formally described in 1999 by Lyndley Craven in Australian Systematic Botany from a specimen near the Z Bend lookout on the Murchison River in the Kalbarri National Park. [3] [4] The specific epithet (lara) is derived from the Ancient Greek word laros meaning "agreeable", "pleasant" or "lovely" [5] referring to the flowers of this plant species. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca lara occurs in the Kalbarri district [1] in the Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic region. [6] It grows in sand in heath on sandplains near river gorges. [1]

Conservation status

Melaleuca lara is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [6]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Melaleuca huttensis is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, woody shrub with elliptic leaves, mostly crowded near the ends of the branches which are tipped with heads of white or yellow flowes during spring and early summer. It is a threatened species, potentially endangered by the construction of the Oakajee Port near Geraldton.

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

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<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 nematophylla</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca nematophylla, commonly known as wiry honey-myrtle is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is one of the showiest melaleucas when in flower in early spring, is easily grown and has unusual needle-like foliage. As a result, it is relatively common in cultivation in temperate parts of Australia.

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

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<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 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.

Melaleuca venusta is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub with silvery leaves and heads of pink to purple flowers which fade to white and with a restricted distribution, north of the Murchison River district.

<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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 213. 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. p. 54. ISBN   1876334983.
  3. "Melaleuca lara". APNI. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  4. 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): 885. doi:10.1071/SB98019.
  5. Brown, Roland (1954). Composition of scientific words; a manual of methods and a lexicon of materials for the practice of logotechnics. Washington: Brown. p. 75. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Melaleuca lara". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.