Melaleuca linearifolia

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Netted bottlebrush
Melaleuca linearifolia leaves and flowers.jpg
Melaleuca linearifolia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. linearifolia
Binomial name
Melaleuca linearifolia
Synonyms [1]
  • Metrosideros linearifolia Link
  • Callistemon linearifolius(Link) DC.

Melaleuca linearifolia, commonly known as netted bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. (Some Australian state herbaria continue to use the name Callistemon linearifolius). [2] It is a shrub with narrow, pointed leaves and red flower spikes in spring or summer.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca linearifolia is a shrub or small tree growing to 4 m (10 ft) tall with grey, hard, flaking bark. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 29–152 mm (1–6 in) long, 4–13 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide, flat but thickened at the edges, linear to lance-shaped, pointed at the tip, with a mid-vein and 17 to 35 branching veins. [1] [3] [4]

The flowers are red to dark crimson and arranged in spikes on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering and also on the sides of the branches. The spikes are 35–55 mm (1–2 in) in diameter and 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in) long with 30 to 90 individual flowers. The petals are 3.2–6.6 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long and fall off as the flower ages and there are 21–23 stamens in each flower. Flowering occurs from spring to summer and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules, 4.8–6 mm (0.19–0.24 in) long. [1] [3] [4]

Habit near Newcastle Melaleuca linearifolia habit.jpg
Habit near Newcastle
Fruit Melaleuca linearifolia leaves and fruit.jpg
Fruit

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca linearifolia was first formally described in 2006 by Lyndley Craven in Novon . [5] [6] The specific epithet (linearifolia) is from the Latin words linearis meaning "linear" [7] :485 and folium meaning "a leaf" [7] :340 in reference to the shape of the leaves of this species. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca linearifolia occurs on the coast of New South Wales from Nelson Bay to the Georges River, where it grows in dry sclerophyll forest near sandstone. [3] [4]

Conservation status

Melaleuca linearifolia has been classified as "vulnerable" by the New South Wales Government. [8]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Melaleuca flavovirens, commonly known as green bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area near the New South Wales–Queensland border in Australia. It is a stiff shrub, distinguished by its silvery new growth and spikes of greenish flowers with yellow tips.

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

Melaleuca formosa, commonly known as Kingaroy bottlebrush or cliff bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in Queensland and peripherally in New South Wales, Australia. It is a shrub with weeping branches and spikes of lemon-coloured flowers in spring.

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Melaleuca lazaridis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the Blackdown Tableland National Park in Queensland.. It is a shrub with dark green leaves and red flowers spikes tipped with yellow.

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

Melaleuca megalongensis, commonly known as Megalong Valley bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New South Wales.. It is a shrub similar to Melaleuca citrina which occurs in the same area and is difficult to distinguish from it, except when in flower.

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

Melaleuca montana, commonly known as mountain bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the Border Ranges area of New South Wales and Queensland in Australia.. It is a shrub or small tree distinguished from most other red bottlebrushes by its hairy petals.

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

Melaleuca pearsonii, commonly known as Blackdown bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland in Australia. It is a small, spreading but compact shrub with hard bark, soft foliage and profuse spikes of bottlebrush flowers in spring and summer.

Melaleuca phratra is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland in Australia. It is a large shrub similar to Melaleuca paludicola but has flower spikes that are a shade of pink.

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

Melaleuca polandii, commonly known as gold-tipped bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic a small area in far northern Queensland in Australia. It is a dense shrub with bronze-coloured, hairy new growth and spikes of red flowers tipped with yellow.

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

Melaleuca sabrina is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area near the border between New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a shrub with fibrous bark and red or pink bottlebrush flowers, tipped with yellow in spring and summer. It is similar to Melaleuca paludicola but distinguished from it by its stamens, which are almost twice as long as those of M. paludicola.

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

Melaleuca shiressii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in New South Wales in Australia. It is rare shrub or small tree with pale, papery bark, sharp-pointed leaves and spikes of white to pale cream bottlebrush flowers in spring and summer.

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. 229. ISBN   9781922137517.
  2. Udovicic, Frank; Spencer, Roger (2012). "New combinations in Callistemon (Myrtaceae)" (PDF). Muelleria. 30 (1): 23–25. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Spencer, Roger; Lumley, Peter F. "Callistemon linearifolius". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: Plantnet. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Netted Bottle Brush - profile". NSW Government: Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  5. "Melaleuca linearifolia". APNI. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  6. Craven, Lyn A. (2006). "New Combinations in Melaleuca for Australian Species of Callistemon (Myrtaceae)". Novon. 16 (4): 472. doi:10.3417/1055-3177(2006)16[468:NCIMFA]2.0.CO;2 . Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  7. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  8. "Callistemon linearifolius (a shrub) - vulnerable species listing". NSW Government: Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 14 July 2015.