Melaleuca linguiformis

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Melaleuca linguiformis
Melaleuca linguiformis flowers.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. linguiformis
Binomial name
Melaleuca linguiformis

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.

Contents

Habit in the Wittenoom Hills, northeast of Esperance Melaleuca linguiformis habit.jpg
Habit in the Wittenoom Hills, northeast of Esperance
Fruit Melaleuca linguiformis fruit.jpg
Fruit

Description

Melaleuca linguiformis is a shrub sometimes growing to 5 m (20 ft) tall with hard, rough bark and very hairy new growth. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 3.3–6.3 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, 1.3–2.3 mm (0.05–0.09 in) wide, elliptic to narrow egg-shaped and semi-circular in cross section. [1] [2]

The flowers are white to cream-coloured and arranged in heads or short spikes on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The spikes are up to 22 mm (0.9 in) in diameter with 3 to 28 individual flowers. The sepals are thin, papery, 1.0–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) long and the petals are 2.3–3 mm (0.09–0.1 in) long and fall off soon as the flower matures. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower and there are13 to 22 stamens in each bundle. Flowering occurs mainly in spring and is followed by fruit which are woody, cup-shaped capsules, 4.3–5.6 mm (0.17–0.22 in) long, in clusters along the stem. [1] [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca linguiformis was first formally described in 1999 by Lyndley Craven in Australian Systematic Botany from a specimen collected in the Salmon Gums Nature Reserve. [3] [4] The specific epithet (linguiformis) is "from the Latin lingua, tongue, and forma shape, in reference to the tongue-like shape of the leaves". [1] [4]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca linguiformis occurs in the Salmon Gums and Wittenoom Hills districts in the Mallee biogeographic region. [5] It usually grows in dense shrub or heath over sand or loam, often in saline soils. [1] [6]

Conservation

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

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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<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 spicigera</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca spicigera is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has wavy, stem-clasping, blue-green leaves and spikes of pink flowers in spring.

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

Melaleuca teuthidoides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a shrub with rough bark and heads of white flowers on the ends of its branches in spring and early summer.

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

Melaleuca lophocoracorum is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the Ravenshoe State Forest, near Ravenshoe in Queensland. It is a newly described (2013) species of shrub or small tree with twisted leaves and spikes of cream-coloured flowers in summer. It is similar to Melaleuca squamophloia and Melaleuca styphelioides.

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. 232. 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. 294. ISBN   1876334983.
  3. "Melaleuca linguiformis". APNI. Retrieved 4 June 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): 888. doi:10.1071/SB98019.
  5. 1 2 "Melaleuca linguiformis". 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. 395. ISBN   0646402439.