Melaleuca longistaminea

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Melaleuca longistaminea
Melaleuca longistaminea (habit).JPG
M. longistaminea growing at Red Bluff near Kalbarri.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. longistaminea
Binomial name
Melaleuca longistaminea
(F.Muell.) Barlow ex Craven
Synonyms [1]

Melaleuca cardiophylla var. longistamineaF.Muell.

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.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca longistaminea is a prickly, sprawling, many-branched, woody shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall with glabrous branches and leaves. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 4.5–13.5 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long, 3–11.5 mm (0.1–0.5 in) wide, egg-shaped to heart-shaped and tapering to a sharp point. They have 11 to 19 parallel veins, giving the leaf the appearance of having fine striations. [1] [2]

The flowers are a shade of lime-green to yellow and are arranged in heads on the sides of the branches. The heads are up to 45 mm (2 in) in diameter and composed of 5 to 15 individual flowers. The petals are 3–3.7 mm (0.12–0.15 in) long and fall off as the flower ages. There are five bundles of stamens around the flower, each with 9 to 24 stamens. Flowering occurs between June and October and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules, 3.5–6.5 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long in clusters of 7 to 15 along the branches. [1] [2] [3]

M. longistaminea leaves and flowers Melaleuca longistaminea (leaves, flowers).JPG
M. longistaminea leaves and flowers
M. longistaminea fruit Melaleuca longistaminea (fruits).JPG
M. longistaminea fruit

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca longistaminea was first named in 1999 by Lyndley Craven in Australian Systematic Botany . [4] [5] It was first formally described in 1863 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name Melaleuca cardiophylla subsp. longistaminea from a specimen collected near the Murchison River. [6] The specific epithet (longistaminea) is derived from the Latin words longus meaning "long" [7] :494 and stamen [7] :798 referring to the relatively long stamens of this species. [1]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca longistaminea occurs in and between the Murchison River, Carnamah and Wongan Hills districts [1] in the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic regions. [8] It is found in heath, shrubland, scrub and sandplain growing in sand over sandstone and granite. [1] [8] [9]

Conservation status

Melaleuca longistaminea is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]

Related Research Articles

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<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.

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.

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.

<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

Melaleuca orbicularis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca cordata with its pinkish "pom-pom" heads of flowers but its leaves are smaller, almost circular compared to the heart shaped leaves of the other species.

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

Melaleuca phoidophylla is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its leaf arrangement, small raised blisters on the leaves and heads of white or cream flowers on the ends of the branches in spring.

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

Melaleuca podiocarpa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with prickly foliage and small heads of white flowers mostly hidden within the foliage.

<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.

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 coccinea</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca coccinea, commonly known as the goldfields bottlebrush is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic the south of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its unusual foliage and bottlebrush spikes of red flowers.

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

Melaleuca leiocarpa, commonly known as pungent honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is native to arid areas in parts of South Australia and Western Australia. It is an erect or branching shrub distinguished by its prickly foliage, yellowish flowers and, for a melaleuca, unusually large, smooth, roughly spherical fruits.

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

Melaleuca cardiophylla, commonly known as tangling melaleuca or umbrella bush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the west and south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense, prickly shrub with heart-shaped leaves, stamens that are joined in unusually long claw-like bundles, and distinctive, warty fruits.

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

Melaleuca concreta is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The species name (concreta) refers to the way the fruits are tightly packed together.

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

Melaleuca marginata is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its prickly leaves and its flowers occurring in long sections of the branches. From 1922 to 2011 was known as Melaleuca coronicarpa.

<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.

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

Melaleuca spectabilis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was formerly known as a subspecies of Melaleuca longistaminea. It is a low, prickly shrub with yellow or lime-green flowers in spring and early summer.

Melaleuca calcicola is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It was formerly known as a subspecies of Melaleuca apodocephala but was reassessed in 2010 and raised to species status. Its branches are corky, the leaves pointed although not prickly and the flowers are creamy white, tipped with yellow.

Melaleuca fulgens subsp. fulgens, commonly known as the scarlet honey myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. In 1990, the species Melaleuca fulgens was separated into 3 subspecies and this is the most widespread of them. As with the other two subspecies, this one is notable for its showy flowers which are usually red but its foliage and fruits are also attractive features.

<i>Melaleuca fulgens <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> steedmanii</i> Subspecies of flowering plant

Melaleuca fulgens subsp. steedmanii, commonly known as the scarlet honey myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. In 1990, the species Melaleuca fulgens was separated into 3 subspecies. Of the two subspecies occurring in the south-west, this one has the narrower distribution, occurring mainly near Geraldton. As with the other subspecies, this one is notable for its showy flowers which are usually red but its foliage and fruits are also attractive features.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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. 234. 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. 178. ISBN   1876334983.
  3. ↑ Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3 ed.). Kenthurst, N.S.W.: Rosenberg Publishing. p. 132. ISBN   9781877058844 . Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Melaleuca longistaminea". APNI. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  5. ↑ 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): 883. doi:10.1071/SB98019.
  6. ↑ "Melaleuca cardiophylla subsp. longistaminea". APNI. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  7. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  8. 1 2 3 "Melaleuca longistaminea". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  9. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 395. ISBN   0646402439.
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