Melaleuca sparsiflora

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Melaleuca sparsiflora
Melaleuca sparsiflora (leaves and flowers).jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. sparsiflora
Binomial name
Melaleuca sparsiflora
Synonyms [1]

Myrtoleucodendron sparsiflorum(Turcz.) Kuntze

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 .

Contents

Description

Melaleuca sparsiflora is a shrub which grows to a height of up to 4 m (10 ft). Its leaves are arranged in alternating pairs at right angles to the ones above and below (decussate) so that the leaves are in four rows along the stems. They are 3–8 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long, 1–2.2 mm (0.04–0.09 in) wide, covered with short, soft hairs, narrow elliptic or narrow egg-shaped and crescent-shaped in cross section. [2]

The flowers are white or cream, a single flower (or rarely a pair) on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering and are about 10 mm (0.4 in) in diameter. The petals are 3.5 mm (0.1 in) long and fall off as the flowers mature. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle with 11 to 26 stamens. Flowers appear in spring and the fruit that follow are woody capsules 3.8–5.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long. [2] [3] [4]

Habit in the Dowak Nature Reserve Melaleuca sparsiflora (habit).jpg
Habit in the Dowak Nature Reserve
Fruit Melaleuca sparsiflora (fruit).jpg
Fruit

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca sparsiflora was first formally described in 1847 by Nikolai Turczaninow in "Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou". [5] [6] The specific epithet (sparsiflora) is derived from the Latin words sparsus meaning "scatter" or "strew" [7] :731 and flos meaning "blossom" [7] :605 referring to small number of flowers in each inflorescence. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca sparsiflora occurs in and between the Marvel Loch, Oldfield River and Salmon Gums districts [2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions. [4] [8] It grows in eucalypt woodland and melaleuca thickets in sand, clay or loam on gentle ridges, flats and depressions, favouring the edges of salt pans. [9]

Conservation

Melaleuca sparsiflora is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]

Related Research Articles

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.

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

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.

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

Melaleuca blaeriifolia is an erect to spreading shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has small leaves and small greenish-yellow flowerheads.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Melaleuca ciliosa is a small shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has bright or pale yellow flowers, an unusual calyx and leaves that are slightly hairy, especially around the edges.

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

Melaleuca concinna is a small shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its species name translates as " neat" or "pretty" and it is distinguished by having many heads of pink flowers in late spring followed by spherical clusters of woody fruits.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Melaleuca pauciflora is a shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its decussate leaf arrangement and its small heads of white flowers on the sides of its branches are diagnostic. This is probably the least spectacular of all the melaleucas.

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

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.

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

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.

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

Melaleuca thyoides, commonly known as salt lake honey-myrtle is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with grey, papery or fibrous bark and very small, overlapping leaves on thin branchlets. It is a salt tolerant species often found on the edges of salt lakes.

<i>Beaufortia cyrtodonta</i> Species of flowering plant

Beaufortia cyrtodonta, commonly known as Stirling Range bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact shrub with crowded leaves which appear greyish due to their covering of fine, soft hairs. It has heads of red flowers in spring and occurs in the Stirling Range district.

Verticordia huegelii var. stylosa, commonly known as variegated featherflower, is a flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a single-stemmed shrub with its growth form depending on its surroundings. It is similar to other varieties of the species but differs in its flower colour and the form of the style and staminodes.

Thryptomene mucronulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with upward-pointing, overlapping, egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base and pink flowers with five petals and ten stamens.

<i>Boronia inornata</i> Species of plant

Boronia inornata, commonly known as desert boronia, is a plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae and is endemic to southern Australia. It is an erect shrub with three-part leaves and pink, red or white, four-petalled flowers.

Hibbertia helianthemoides is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to low-lying, spreading to erect, hairy shrub with hairy foliage, linear leaves and yellow flowers with thirteen stamens.

References

  1. 1 2 "Melaleuca sparsiflora". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 8 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. 330. ISBN   9781922137517.
  3. Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. p. 132. ISBN   1876334983.
  4. 1 2 Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). [Kenthurst, N.S.W.]: Rosenberg Pub. p. 135. ISBN   9781877058844 . Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  5. "Melaleuca sparsiflora". APNI. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  6. Turczaninow, Nikolai (1847). Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou, Volume 20. St. Petersburg. p. 167. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  7. 1 2 Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  8. 1 2 "Melaleuca sparsiflora". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  9. Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 397. ISBN   0646402439.