Melaleuca sclerophylla | |
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Melaleuca sclerophylla foliage and flowers in the ANBG | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Melaleuca |
Species: | M. sclerophylla |
Binomial name | |
Melaleuca sclerophylla | |
Melaleuca sclerophylla is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is distinguished by its unusual leaves which are rough, leathery and covered with small, warty lumps and by its many purple heads of flowers in early spring.
Melaleuca sclerophylla is sometimes an erect, spreading shrub and others low and ground-covering. It generally grows to a height of about 1.5 m (5 ft) but old specimens are sometimes much taller. New growth is covered with long, soft hairs. The leaves are arranged alternately, mostly glabrous except when young and each is 8–28 mm (0.3–1 in) long and 1.8–6 mm (0.07–0.2 in) wide. They are dark green, leathery, narrow oval to narrow egg-shaped, covered with warty tubercles and have an obvious mid-vein on the lower surface. [2] [3]
The flowers are a shade of purple, arranged in heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering and sometimes in the upper leaf axils. Before opening, the flower buds are covered with dark-coloured bracts which fall off as the flowers open. The heads are up to 20 mm (0.8 in) in diameter and contain 7 to 10 groups of flowers in threes. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flowers, each bundle containing between 4 and 7 stamens. Flowering occurs between June and October but mostly in September and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 2–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long, in almost spherical clusters along the stems. [2] [3]
Melaleuca sclerophylla was first formally described in 1904 by Ludwig Diels in Botanische jahrbucher fur systematik, pflanzengeschichte und pflanzengeographie under the heading Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae occidentalis:Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Pflanzen Westaustraliens, ihrer Verbreitung und ihrer Lebensverhaltnisse ("Contributions to the knowledge of the plants of West Australia, where they are found and their conditions of existence"). [1] [4] The specific epithet (sclerophylla) is from the Ancient Greek words skleros meaning “hard” or "tough" [5] :396 and phyllon meaning “leaf” [5] :605 referring to the toughness of the leaves. [2]
Melaleuca sclerophylla occurs in the Kalbarri and Wongan Hills districts in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains and Jarrah Forest biogeographic regions [6] growing in sand with clay or gravel on granite outcrops. [7]
This species is classified as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife [6] meaning that it is known from only a few locations and is not currently in imminent danger. [8]
This species has been successfully grown in the southern parts of Australia in sunny positions in well-drained soils in winter-wet areas. It has also proved to be frost hardy. [3]
Banksia purdieana is a species of bushy shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has broadly linear, pinnatipartite leaves with sharply-pointed lobes on the sides, yellow flowers in heads of about eighty and egg-shaped follicles.
Eremophila dichroantha, also known as bale-hook eremophila, is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with many ascending branches making the plant appear broom-like. It has small, hooked leaves and small, though abundant, violet to lilac-coloured flowers.
Melaleuca cliffortioides is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, prickly shrub very similar to Melaleuca podiocarpa but with fewer stamens in the flowers.
Melaleuca depressa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, bushy shrub with clusters of yellow or cream flowers on the ends of its branches in spring.
Melaleuca platycalyx is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, twiggy shrub with short spikes of purple or pink flowers in spring. The distinguishing features of this species include petals that are bent downwards, an unusually large number of stamens in each flower and unusually large fruits arranged in alternating pairs.
Melaleuca psammophila is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with narrow leaves, heads of purple, pink or mauve flowers and clusters of woody fruit. It is similar to M. bisulcata but differs from that species in characters such as the shape of its fruit, leaves and buds but like that species is an attractive, profusely flowering shrub suitable for cultivation as a garden plant.
Beaufortia bracteosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub growing to a height of about 1 m (3 ft) with red to maroon flowers and woody fruit.
Regelia cymbifolia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a much branched shrub bearing tiny, wedge shaped leaves and clusters of deep pink to purple flowers on the ends of its branches in spring.
Isopogon alcicornis, commonly known as the elkhorn coneflower, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to part of the south coast of Western Australia. It is a low shrub with pinnately-lobed leaves and oval heads of hairy, white or pink flowers.
Eremophila georgei is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a common, widespread shrub in central areas of the state, often growing on rocky ridges and hillsides and has serrated leaves and mauve, purple or pink flowers.
Eremophila ionantha is a flowering plant in the figwort family, Scrophulariaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is a shrub with many sticky branches, narrow, light green leaves and blue, purple or violet flowers.
Verticordia stenopetala is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low shrub with small leaves and heads of pink to magenta-coloured flowers in late spring and early summer.
Kunzea montana, commonly known as mountain kunzea, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with more or less round leaves and heads of cream-coloured to pale yellow flowers on the ends of the branches in late spring. It is an uncommon species, growing on rocky mountain slopes, but all populations are conserved in the Stirling Range National Park.
Boronia purdieana is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with pinnate leaves and yellow, four-petalled flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.
Boronia fabianoides is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with many branches, simple, more or less cylindrical leaves and single white, pink or pale blue four-petalled flowers in the leaf axils.
Philotheca deserti is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to inland Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with narrow spindle-shaped, glandular-warty leaves and white flowers arranged singly in leaf axils.
Philotheca tomentella is a species of flowering plant in the family Rutaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an undershrub with small club-shaped to cylindrical leaves and white flowers with a pale red central stripe, arranged singly or in groups of up to four on the ends of branchlets.
Goodenia eremophila is a species of flowering plant in the family Goodeniaceae and is endemic to inland areas of Western Australia. It is an ascending herb with linear to elliptic leaves and thyrses of blue flowers.
Teucrium eremaeum is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a perennial herb or shrub with small, linear to lance-shaped leaves and white or cream-coloured flowers.
Teucrium myriocladum is a species of flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small, hairy leaves and creamy-green flowers.