Melaleuca uncinata

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Broombush
Melaleuca uncinata (leaves, fruits).JPG
Melaleuca uncinata
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. uncinata
Binomial name
Melaleuca uncinata
Synonyms [1]
  • Melaleuca nodosa var. stenostoma Domin
  • Myrtoleucodendron uncinatum(R.Br.) Kuntze

Melaleuca uncinata, commonly known as broombush, broom honeymyrtle or brushwood, is a plant in the paperbark family native to southern Australia. It is harvested from the wild, and grown in plantations, for broombush fencing. The Noongar names for the plant are kwytyat and yilbarra. [2]

Contents

Description

Broombush is a multistemmed evergreen shrub usually less than 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height, occasionally growing as a small tree to less than 5 m (16 ft). It is often found in association with mallee eucalypts. It has spreading or ascending leaves, 19–56 mm (0.75–2.20 in) long and 0.8–1.2 mm (0.031–0.047 in) wide, linear in shape, almost circular in cross-section, and tapering to a distinctly curved hook. The leaves have large oil glands along their edges. [3] [4] [5]

The flowers are white, cream or yellow, and are attractive to birds. They are arranged in dense almost spherical heads, 15–17 mm (0.59–0.67 in) in diameter in the leaf axils. Each head contains 4 to 19 groups of flowers, each group with 3 flowers. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle with 3 to 5 stamens which are cream, white or pale greenish-cream. Flowers appear from August to December and the fruit which follow are closely packed together forming a group with a diameter of 7–13 mm (0.3–0.5 in). [3] [4] [5]

Leaves and fruit Melaleuca uncinata (flowers).JPG
Leaves and fruit
Habit 90 km (56 mi) west of Esperance Melaleuca uncinata (habit).JPG
Habit 90 km (56 mi) west of Esperance
Illustration from Curtis's Botanical Magazine Melaleuca uncinata 6675.jpg
Illustration from Curtis's Botanical Magazine

Taxonomy

Melaleuca uncinata was first described in 1812 by Robert Brown in Hortus Kewensis . [7] The specific epithet (uncinatus) is a Latin word meaning "bearing hooks" or "barbed" [8] "in reference to the shape of the leaf apex". [4]

A review of the species was undertaken by Lyndley Craven in 1994 and some populations have been identified as new species. The populations in Queensland and New South Wales may also represent another taxon. [4]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs in the Coolgardie-Esperance region of Western Australia as well as on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia, extending eastwards to western Victoria and south-western New South Wales. [5]

Ecology

Melaleuca uncinata is the only known host of the critically endangered Rhizanthella gardneri , the "underground orchid". [9] [10]

Uses

Building material

Ornamental brushwood fencing comprising the grey stems, twigs and dry foliage of Melaleuca uncinata has been in use in Australia for more than 80 years. It is an important market for melaleucas although representing only 1% of the fencing market in Western Australia. Other uses include the manufacture of garden furniture, gazebos and hanging baskets. About 600,000 bundles of brushwood, each about 25 kilograms (55 lb) were used in Australia in 1994 with a predicted annual market growth of 5.5%. [4]

Essential oils

The leaves of this species have been analysed for their oil content. There appears to be different types of oil collected from two groups of plants. One group contained 1,8-cineole as its major component and the other terpinen-4-ol. [4]

Related Research Articles

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

Melaleuca viridiflora, commonly known as broad-leaved paperbark, is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is native to woodlands, swamps and streams in monsoonal areas of northern Australia and New Guinea. It is usually a small tree with an open canopy, papery bark and spikes of cream, yellow, green or red flowers.

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

Melaleuca elliptica, commonly known as the granite bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. The Noongar name for the plant is gnow. It is commonly grown in gardens because of its neat foliage and showy, bright red flower spikes although it needs to be pruned regularly to avoid becoming woody and untidy-looking. In nature, it usually grows in the shrub layer in mallee woodland or heath.

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

Melaleuca atroviridis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was formerly included in the species Melaleuca uncinata but a review of that species lead to the identification of a number of new species. Like M. uncinata, this species is used for the production of brushwood fencing. It has fewer stamens in the flowers and somewhat smaller clusters of fruit but has the same needle-like leaves with a hooked end and spikes of creamy yellow flowers in early summer.

<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 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 exuvia</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca exuvia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is easily distinguished by its unusual rough, minni ritchi bark which peels to reveal a new layer of smooth, salmon-pink bark. It is a newly described (2004) species which was formerly included in Melaleuca uncinata.

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

Melaleuca interioris is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. It was formerly included in Melaleuca uncinata and is similar to that species with its cylinder-shaped leaves and small heads of yellow flowers, but with smaller, less compressed fruiting capsules.

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

Melaleuca linguiformis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a shrub with hairy new growth, small leaves and heads of white flowers similar to Melaleuca teuthidoides shorter sepals and more stamens in each flower.

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

Melaleuca osullivanii is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was first formally described in 2004 after a review of the broombush group, Melaleuca uncinata. It differs from others in the group by having leaves that are fine and circular in cross section. The closest other broombrush is Melaleuca hamata whose leaves are 0.8–1.6 mm (0.03–0.06 in) in diameter compared to 0.7–0.9 mm (0.03–0.04 in) for this species.

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

Melaleuca scalena is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. Plants of this species were previously included in Melaleuca uncinata or broombush until a review of that species in 2004. Its leaves are narrow cylinders, the flowers in small yellow heads and the fruits tightly packed together in oval clusters. This species is very similar to Melaleuca hamata but the plants have a comparatively scruffy or less strong and healthy appearance.

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

Melaleuca stereophloia is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is similar to the broombush, Melaleuca uncinata with its needle-like leaves and heads of yellow to white flowers, but its bark is hard and fibrous rather than papery.

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

Melaleuca vinnula is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves, heads of white to yellow flowers followed by tight clusters of fruit and it is found in the wheatbelt. It is a newly-described species from a review of the group of melaleucas known as broombrush.

<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 adenostyla</i> Species of flowering plant

Melaleuca adenostyla is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a large, broom-like shrub to about 5 metres (16 ft) high with narrow leaves and cream-coloured flowers and which often grows in saline places.

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

Melaleuca hamata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It grows to a large, dense shrub with broombrush foliage and profuse pale yellow flowers in late spring.

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

Melaleuca protrusa is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with papery bark, narrow leaves with a hooked end and cream-coloured or yellow flowers. Although it was described as late as 2010, it is not considered a rare or endangered species. It resembles other members of the brushwood group such as M. uncinata, M. atroviridis and M. zeteticorum.

Melaleuca sheathiana, commonly known as boree is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to central and south-western Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca pauperiflora except that it has small, spoon-shaped leaves.

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 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.

<i>Rhizanthella johnstonii</i> Species of orchid

Rhizanthella johnstonii, commonly known as south coast underground orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a subterranean herb that has a horizontal rhizome and a head of up to sixty small white flowers with a pink tinge, surrounded by relatively large, cream-coloured to pale pinkish cream bracts.

References

  1. 1 2 "Melaleuca uncinata". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  2. "Noongar names for plants". kippleonline.net. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 300–301. ISBN   978-1876334987.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brophy, Joseph J.; Craven, Lyndley A.; Doran, John C. (2013). Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses. Canberra: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. pp. 371–372. ISBN   9781922137517.
  5. 1 2 3 "Melaleuca uncinata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. Hooker, Joseph Dalton; Hemsley, William B. (1904). Curtis & Hooker's Botanical Magazine. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 7941. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  7. "Melaleuca uncinata". APNI. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  8. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 826.
  9. Dixon, K.W. (1990). "The Western Australian fully subterranean orchid Rhizanthella gardneri". Orchid Biology; Reviews and Perspectives. 5: 37–63.
  10. Warcup, J. H. (February 1985). "Rhizanthella gardneri (Orchidaceae), its Rhizoctonia endophyte and close association with Melaleuca uncinata (Myrtaceae) in Western Australia". New Phytologist. 99 (2): 273–280. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1985.tb03656.x .