Melaleuca macronychia | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Melaleuca |
Species: | M. macronychia |
Binomial name | |
Melaleuca macronychia | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Myrtoleucodendron macronychium(Turcz.) Kuntze |
Melaleuca macronychia is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its large, red flower spikes and long flowering period contribute to its popularity as a garden plant. There are two subspecies, distinguished mainly by the shape of the leaves.
Melaleuca macronychia is an open, erect, many-stemmed shrub usually growing to a height of 3–5 m (10–20 ft). Its leaves are arranged alternately, are 9–28 mm (0.4–1 in) long and 2.1–15.5 mm (0.08–0.6 in) wide oval to narrow elliptic in shape and taper to a point. [2]
The flowers are crimson and arranged in spikes on side branches, the spikes up to 60 mm (2 in) long and about 50 mm (2 in) in diameter. Each spike contains between 10 and 80 individual flowers. The petals are 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and fall off as the flowers open. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle with 15 to 25 stamens. Flowers appear mostly from February to December varying somewhat with subspecies. The fruit are woody, roughly spherical capsules about 6 mm (0.2 in) in diameter, forming clusters along the branches. [2] [3]
Melaleuca macronychia was first described in 1852 by Nikolai Turczaninow in "Bulletin de la classe physico-mathematique de l'Academie Imperiale des sciences de Saint-Petersburg". [4] [5] There is disagreement about the etymology of the specific epithet (macronychia). In a Melaleuca monograph, Craven give it as from the Ancient Greek makros meaning “long” and onyx meaning "fingernail", "claw" or "talon", referring to the dried leaves which look like long, narrow human fingernails. [2] Sharr considers onychius to be an adaptation of the Greek onyx, onychos meaning "a nail or claw", referring to the stamen claw of this species. [6]
There are two subspecies varying in their distributions, flowering time and leaf size and shape:
Melaleuca macronychia occurs in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie and Mallee biogeographic regions growing in scrub and heath on a wide range of sandy and gravelly soil types. [11]
This species is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife [11] although the subspecies trygonoides is classified as "Priority Three" [8] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [12]
Melaleuca macronychia subsp. macronychia is frequently cultivated because of its profuse red flower spikes which appear over long periods. It is also a hardy plant, including in the temperate areas of the more humid east coast when grown in well-drained soil with a sunny aspect. [3] [13]
Eucalyptus erythronema, commonly known as the red-flowered mallee, is a species of mallee or tree and is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth, dark pink to red bark that is shed to reveal whitish bark, and has lance-shaped adult leaves, pendulous flower buds mostly arranged in groups of three, red or yellow flowers and conical fruit.
Melaleuca acuminata, commonly known as mallee honeymyrtle is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is native to Australia and widespread in temperate areas of the continent. It is an erect shrub to about 3 m (9.8 ft) usually found in mallee woodland.
Melaleuca apodocephala is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, bushy shrub with crowded, grey-green leaves, corky bark and a profusion of creamy-yellow flowers on the sides of the branches.
Melaleuca adnata, commonly known as sandhill honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a tall shrub with papery bark and spikes of white flowers in spring and early summer.
Melaleuca laxiflora, commonly known as narrow-leaved paperbark, is a woody, spreading shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its loosely arranged, mostly lateral pink flower spikes and its smooth, fleshy, oil-dotted leaves. It is often cultivated because of its hardiness and attractive flowers.
Melaleuca bracteosa is a low, spreading shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has tiny, fleshy, non-prickly leaves and cream flowerheads.
Melaleuca cucullata is a large shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its species name alludes to the shape of the leaves which resemble miniature academics' hoods.
Melaleuca depauperata is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has small, fleshy leaves and purple to pink flowers on short stalks along the branches.
Melaleuca hamulosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a broom-like shrub with many stiff, ascending branches and spikes of white or pale mauve flowers in spring or summer.
Melaleuca lateralis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a showy shrub, well suited to horticulture, distinguished by its very small leaves and small clusters of pink flowers along the older stems.
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.
Melaleuca lutea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. This species was previously known as Melaleuca citrina but was renamed to allow Callistemon citrinus to be moved to the genus Melaleuca. It is distinguished by its oval shaped, dense heads of yellow flowers and bushy foliage.
Melaleuca ochroma is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is very similar to Melaleuca subfalcata, varying mainly in the length of its stamens and styles. Like M. subfalcata, it has pink to mauve flowers and leaves that are very hairy when young but become glabrous when mature.
Melaleuca rigidifolia is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca plumea with its pink or purple flowers but is distinguished from that species by its lack of fluffy hairs on the flowers and its spherical clusters of fruits.
Melaleuca sparsiflora is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It generally grows in heavy soils on the edges of salt lakes and has only one or two flowers at the ends of it branches, unlike the many-flowered heads or spikes of others in the genus Melaleuca.
Melaleuca subfalcata is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It has fibrous bark and pink to purple flowers in spikes, mostly on the side branches.
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.
Eucalyptus calycogona, commonly known as the gooseberry mallee or square fruited mallee, is a mallee that is endemic to southern Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds that are square in cross-section arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils, creamy white, sometimes pink flowers, and fruit that are square in cross-section.
Leptospermum incanum is a species of compact shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has hairy young stems, elongated egg-shaped leaves on a short petiole, relatively large white or pink flowers and fruit that fall from the plant when mature.
Hibbertia lepidocalyx is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with thick, linear, cylindrical leaves and yellow flowers with nine or ten stamens in a single group on one side of the two carpels.