Melaleuca montana

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Mountain bottlebrush
Callistemon montanus.jpg
Melaleuca montana in the Maranoa Gardens
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. montana
Binomial name
Melaleuca montana
Synonyms [1]

Callistemon montanus C.T.White ex S.T.Blake

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. (Some Australian state herbaria continue to use the name Callistemon montanus). [2] It is a shrub or small tree distinguished from most other red bottlebrushes by its hairy petals.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca montana is a shrub or small tree growing to 8 m (30 ft) tall. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 37–112 mm (1–4 in) long, 5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide, flat, narrow elliptic to narrow egg-shaped often with one side straighter than the other. There is a mid-vein and 11 to 21 lateral veins. [3] [4]

The flowers are a shade of red to crimson and arranged in spikes on the sides of the branches. The spikes are 15–65 mm (0.6–3 in) in diameter with 15 to 30 individual flowers. The petals are 4.2–6.2 mm (0.17–0.24 in) long, densely hairy on the outer surface and fall off as the flower ages. There are 27 to 47 stamens in each flower. Flowering occurs in spring and summer but sometimes at other times of the year. Flowering is followed by fruit that are woody capsules, 6.2–8.6 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca montana was first formally described in 2006 by Lyndley Craven in Novon . [5] [6] The specific epithet (montana) is a Latin word meaning "of mountains" [7] in reference to the habitat of this species. [3]

Callistemon montanus is regarded as a synonym of Melaleuca montana by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, [8]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs in the Border Ranges area near the New South Wales–Queensland border. It grows in forest and heath in shallow soils on cliff tops and edges. [4] [3]

Use in horticulture

Melaleuca montana has long been in cultivation (as Callistemon montanus ). Whilst the flowers may not be as attractive as those of Melaleuca citrina , it is more likely to flower in shady situations. [3] [9]

Related Research Articles

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

Melaleuca comboynensis, commonly known as cliff bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is usually a shrub, similar to Melaleuca citrina with its hard leaves, spikes of red flowers and clusters of cup-shaped fruits but differs in that its leaves are generally wider and its habitat is usually rocky outcrops rather than along watercourses.

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

Melaleuca pachyphylla, commonly known as wallum bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to near-coastal regions of New South Wales and Queensland in Australia.. It is a medium-sized shrub with a straggling habit and red, or sometimes greenish, bottlebrush flowers in summer.

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

Melaleuca phoenicea, commonly known as scarlet bottlebrush or lesser bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The Noongar peoples know the plant as tubada. It is a shrub with thick, blue-green leaves and spikes of scarlet bottlebrush flowers in spring and summer.

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

Melaleuca paludicola, commonly known as river bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with flexible, often drooping branches, pinkish new growth and spikes of cream, pale yellow, or sometimes pink flowers in summer.

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

Melaleuca subulata is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to south eastern Australia.. It is a small, spreading shrub with hard bark, dense foliage, cylindrical leaves and spikes of dark crimson flowers in summer.

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

Melaleuca orophila, commonly known as needle bottlebrush or Flinders Ranges bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the eastern part of South Australia.. It is a medium-sized shrub with sharp-pointed, needle-like leaves and bright red bottlebrush flower spikes.

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

Melaleuca recurva, commonly known as Tinaroo bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to higher areas of far northern Queensland in Australia.. It is a shrub with spikes of red flowers tipped with yellow in most months of the year and which often has leaves with their edges curled under.

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

Melaleuca faucicola commonly known as desert bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the Northern Territory in Australia. It is a shrub or small tree growing only in protected gorges in the ranges of Central Australia such as the Petermann Ranges and has red, cream or white spikes of flowers.

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

Melaleuca pallida, commonly known as lemon bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an upright shrub with thin, spreading branches, silvery new growth and pale yellow, sometimes pinkish bottlebrush flowers.

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

Melaleuca flammea, commonly known as tapering-leaved bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia. It is a shrub with broad, lance-shaped leaves which have wavy edges and taper gradually to a fine point. In spring it has typical bottlebrush flowers whose fiery colour gives the species its name.

Melaleuca hemisticta, commonly known as Mount Wheeler bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to coastal areas of Queensland. It is a tall, bushy shrub with dark green leaves and red flowers spikes tipped with yellow.

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.

Melaleuca montis-zamia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the Springsure district in Queensland, Australia. It is a shrub with red bottlebrush flowers.

<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.

Melaleuca quercina, commonly known as Oakey bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area of Queensland in Australia. It is small tree with dark, corky bark and spikes of yellow, cream or pink bottlebrush flowers in spring and summer.

<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 serpentina</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca serpentina is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the Barraba district in Australia. It is a shrub with yellow or creamy-green bottlebrush flowers. It is similar to Melaleuca citrina but can be distinguished from that species by its flower colour and its shorter stamens.

<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 "Melaleuca montana". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  2. Udovicic, Frank; Spencer, Roger (2012). "New combinations in Callistemon (Myrtaceae)". Muelleria. 30 (1): 23–25. doi:10.5962/p.292240. S2CID   251007557 . Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  3. 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. 246. ISBN   9781922137517.
  4. 1 2 3 Spencer, Roger; Lumley, Peter F. "Callistemon montanus". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney: Plantnet. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  5. "Melaleuca montana". APNI. Retrieved 15 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. S2CID   84723155 . Retrieved 15 July 2015.
  7. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 536.
  8. "Callistemon montanus". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  9. Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. p. 193. ISBN   0002165759.