Melaleuca recurva

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Tinaroo bottlebrush
Callistemon recurvus.jpg
Melaleuca recurva in Maranoa Gardens
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. recurva
Binomial name
Melaleuca recurva
Synonyms [1]

Callistemon recurvusR.D.Spencer & Lumley

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. (Some Australian state herbaria continue to use the name Callistemon recurvus ). [2] 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.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca recurva is a shrub or small tree growing to 7 m (20 ft) high with hard, fibrous bark. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 15–55 mm (0.6–2 in) long, 2–9 mm (0.08–0.4 in) wide, flat and narrow egg-shaped with the end tapering to a point. The leaves have indistinct veins and randomly distributed oil glands. The young leaves and branches have fine, silky hairs pressed against their surfaces. [3] [4]

The flowers are bright red tipped with yellow and are arranged in spikes on the ends of branches that continue to grow after flowering, sometimes also in the upper leaf axils. The spikes are 35–50 mm (1–2 in) in diameter. The petals are 2.5–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, fall off as the flower ages and there are 26-36 stamens in each flower. Flowering occurs throughout the year but mainly in the cooler months and is followed by fruits that are woody capsules, 4.6–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long. [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca recurva was first named in 2006 by Lyndley Craven in Novon when Callistemon recurvus was moved to the present genus. [5] [6] Callistemon recurvus was first formally described in 1990 by Roger David Spencer and Peter Lumley in Muelleria from a specimen collected on Mount Stewart, east of Herberton. [7] The specific epithet (recurva) is a Latin word meaning "recurved", referring to the leaves often being slightly bent backwards. [3]

Callistemon recurvus is regarded as a synonym of Melaleuca recurva by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. [8]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca recurva occurs in the higher districts in Queensland from the Atherton Tableland south to the Bowen district where it grows in dense scrubland and on rocky outcrops near rivers. [3]

Use in horticulture

Melaleuca recurva is often cultivated due to the presence of flowers through most of the year. [4]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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

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<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.

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

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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.

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

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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 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.

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

Melaleuca wimmerensis, commonly known as the Wimmera bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the state of Victoria in Australia.. It is a recently (2008) discovered shrub, often with many stems arising from a lignotuber and is similar to Melaleuca paludicola but has pink or mauve flowers tipped with yellow anthers over a short period between October and early December.

References

  1. 1 2 "Melaleuca recurva". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  2. Udovicic, Frank; Spencer, Roger (2012). "New combinations in Callistemon (Myrtaceae)" (PDF). Muelleria. 30 (1): 23–25. doi:10.5962/p.292240. S2CID   251007557 . Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  3. 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. 305. ISBN   9781922137517.
  4. 1 2 3 F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Melaleuca recurva". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government . Retrieved 28 June 2021.
  5. "Melaleuca recurva". APNI. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  6. Craven, Lyn A. (2006). "New Combinations in Melaleuca for Australian Species of Callistemon (Myrtaceae)". Novon. 16 (4): 473. doi:10.3417/1055-3177(2006)16[468:NCIMFA]2.0.CO;2. S2CID   84723155 . Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  7. "Callistemon recurvus". APNI. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  8. "Callistemon recurvus". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.