Melaleuca ochroma

Last updated

Melaleuca ochroma
Status DECF P3.svg
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. ochroma
Binomial name
Melaleuca ochroma

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.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca ochroma is a shrub growing to about 2.5 m (8 ft) tall with hard, fibrous bark. Its leaves are narrow oval shaped and covered with soft hairs when young but become glabrous with age and eventually linear in shape, slightly dished and with a sharp point on the end. Mature leaves are arranged alternately on the stem and are 13–19 mm (0.5–0.7 in) long and about 1.0 mm (0.04 in) wide. [2]

The flowers are pink at first but fade to pale mauve, arranged on spikes 13–19 mm (0.5–0.7 in) wide in the axils of the leaves, each spike with 17 to 35 individual flowers. The petals are 2.4–3.5 mm (0.09–0.1 in) long and fall off as the flower matures. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 13 to 24 stamens. The stamens are 4.3–7.2 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and the styles are 6.5–7.2 mm (0.3–0.3 in) long. (In Melaleuca subfalcata, the stamens and styles are longer.) Flowering occurs in late spring and is followed by fruit which are woody cup-shaped capsule 3–4.4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long with a fairly smooth rim. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca ochroma was first described as a new species in 2000 by Brendan Lepschi. [3] [4] The specific epithet (ochroma) is from the Greek ochroma meaning "pallor" [5] in reference to the pale colour of the flowers. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca ochroma occurs in the Mount Holland - Hyden district [2] in the Coolgardie and Mallee biogeographic regions. [6]

Conservation

Melaleuca ochroma is listed as "Priority Three" Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife [3] meaning that it is only known from a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [7]

Related Research Articles

Melaleuca penicula is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a rare species only known from the Fitzgerald River National Park and resembles Melaleuca eximia with its spikes of red flowers but its leaves and stamen bundles are different.

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

Melaleuca amydra is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca ryeae with its small, compact form, oval leaves and "pom-pom" heads of pink to purple flower heads on the ends of the branches in spring.

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

Melaleuca barlowii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to a number of other Western Australian melaleucas such as M. conothamnoides with its purple pom-pom flower heads but is a more erect shrub with different leaves and the fruiting clusters have a different shape.

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

Melaleuca beardii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to a number of other Western Australian melaleucas such as M. trichophylla with its purple pom-pom flower heads but unlike others, the tips of its leaves are rounded rather than pointed.

Melaleuca boeophylla is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to a number of other Western Australian melaleucas such as M. filifolia with its purple pom-pom flower heads but its leaves are shorter and oval in cross-section.

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

Melaleuca borealis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to areas in the tropical north of Queensland. It has relatively long, thin, cylinder-shaped leaves and heads of white to pale yellow flowers on the ends of its branches in late spring.

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

Melaleuca caeca is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to a number of other Western Australian melaleucas such as M. pentagona with its purple pom-pom flower heads but it is a smaller shrub with narrower leaves and smaller inflorescences.

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

Melaleuca campanae is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, woody shrub similar to Melaleuca eulobata, with a low, spreading habit and pinkish flower heads but it has longer, pointed leaves and lacks distinct sepals which instead form a ring of tissue around the edge of the flowers.

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

Melaleuca carrii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub similar to Melaleuca pentagona, with "pom-pom" heads of pinkish flowers and sharply pointed leaves but it is generally smaller, lacks a groove in its leaves and retains its petals on the flowers for longer than that species.

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

Melaleuca clavifolia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub similar to Melaleuca tinkeri, with "pom-pom" heads of pinkish flowers and soft, silky hairs on the new growth but it has larger flower heads and its leaves are shorter, more club-shaped and have less distinct oil glands.

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

Melaleuca eurystoma is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with pale lemon to greenish flowers and egg-shaped to almost oval leaves.

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 villosisepala</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca villosisepala is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves, heads of pink to mauve flowers that fade to white and is similar to Melaleuca wonganensis except that its heads of flowers are smaller and pinkish rather than deep purple.

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

Melaleuca zeteticorum is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves and pale to bright yellow flowers in spring. Its species name zeteticorum was given "in honour of these persons who for their enjoyment explore natural vegetation communities to become familiar with their constituent species".

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

Melaleuca ctenoides is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was first described in 1990 in a review of the genus Melaleuca when the species M. laxiflora at that time was found to comprise ten species. Two of those species were new - M. camptoclada and M. ctenoides. It similar to Melaleuca laxiflora but distinguished from it by its comb-like leaves and attractive mauve or violet flowers in spring.

Melaleuca sophisma is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is superficially similar to Melaleuca cliffortioides but differs from it in the arrangement of the flowers and in details of the leaves. The flowers are white, fading to cream and are arranged in small heads on the sides of the 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.

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

Melaleuca ulicoides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a small, densely foliaged shrub with small heads of white or cream flowers in spring. It is closely related to Melaleuca marginata but can be distinguished from it by the number and character of leaf veins.

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.

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

Melaleuca genialis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rare species, known from one nature reserve. It is similar to Melaleuca tinkeri, mainly differing from it in having hairy leaves and petals.

References

  1. "Melaleuca ochroma". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  2. 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. 255. ISBN   9781922137517.
  3. 1 2 3 Craven, Lyn A.; Lepschi, Brendan J.; Cowley, Kirsten J. (2010). "Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) of Western Australia: five new species, three new combinations, one new name and a new state record". Nuytsia. 20: 30.
  4. "Melaleuca ochroma". APNI. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  5. "ochroma". Merriam-Webster dictionary. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  6. "Melaleuca ochroma". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  7. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 31 March 2020.