Melaleuca venusta

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Melaleuca venusta
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. venusta
Binomial name
Melaleuca venusta

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.

Contents

Description

Melaleuca venusta is a branching, open shrub which grows to a height of 1.5 m (5 ft). Its leaves are arranged alternately, are oblong to ovate with a short point on the end and 18–45 mm (0.7–2 in) long by 6–11 mm (0.2–0.4 in). Both surfaces of the leaves are densely covered with silky hairs giving the foliage a silvery grey colour.

The flowers are arranged in heads about 32 mm (1 in) in diameter on the ends of the branches, each head composed of 6 to 13 groups of three flowers. The stamens are grouped in five bundles around the flower, each bundle consisting of 7 to 11 stamens. The stamens give the flowers a pinkish mauve to purple colour which fades rapidly to white. The flowers appear mainly in October and November and are followed by fruit which are woody capsules 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) in spherical clusters. [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca venusta was first formally described in 1999 by Lyndley Craven in Australian Systematic Botany . [1] [4] The specific epithet (venusta) is from the Latin venustus meaning "like Venus", "lovely", "beautiful", "elegant" or "graceful". [5]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca venusta only occurs in the Kalbarri district in the Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic zone north of the Murchison River. It grows in sand over limestone. [2] [3]

Conservation

Melaleuca venusta is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [6]

Use in horticulture

The species is not known in cultivation but its mauve flowers contrasting with its attractive silvery foliage suggest it "merits trial as an ornamental shrub in dry Mediterranean climates". [3]

Related Research Articles

<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.

Melaleuca idana is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with fine, silky hairs covering the new foliage and heads of pink to deep purple flowers in early spring. It is similar to Melaleuca sapientes, differing mainly in the shape of the leaves in cross-section and the length of its styles.

Melaleuca keigheryi is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae with white, papery bark and is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. In spring, it has heads of pink flowers which fade in color to become white.

Melaleuca lara is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area on the west coast of Western Australia. It is similar to Melaleuca ciliosa with its hairy young leaves and heads of yellow flowers ageing to red but there are fewer flowers in each head and the leaves are generally smaller.

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

Melaleuca leuropoma is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small to medium-sized shrub which flowers over an extended period with flower colour varying from purple to yellow or white. The glossy, often brown petals covering the flower buds are also an unusual characteristic of this species.

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

Melaleuca longistaminea is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with small, prickly, heart-shaped leaves and heads of yellow to green flowers on the sides of the stems in winter and spring. It is similar to Melaleuca spectabilis which was formerly included in this species but has smaller flowerheads and narrower leaves.

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

Melaleuca nematophylla, commonly known as wiry honey-myrtle is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is one of the showiest melaleucas when in flower in early spring, is easily grown and has unusual needle-like foliage. As a result, it is relatively common in cultivation in temperate parts of Australia.

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

Melaleuca podiocarpa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with prickly foliage and small heads of white flowers mostly hidden within the foliage.

Melaleuca procera is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly shrub with cylinder-shaped leaves and heads of pinkish flowers in later spring or early summer.

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

Melaleuca ryeae is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub, closely resembling Melaleuca amydra with its small leaves and profuse heads of pink to purple flowers but M.amydra has narrower leaves and does not have spherical clusters of fruits.

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

Melaleuca sapientes is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with silky grey leaves and small heads of pinkish flowers in spring or early summer. The attractive, silvery foliage has made this melaleuca a popular garden plant under the incorrect name of Melaleuca holosericea, a similar but much rarer species.

Melaleuca similis 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 stramentosa with its narrow, almost cylindrical leaves and heads of pink to purple flowers but lacks the matted, silky hairs on the young leaves and outer edge of the flower cup.

Melaleuca stramentosa is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, bushy shrub similar to Melaleuca similis with its cylindrical leaves and heads of pink to purple flowers but differs in have matted, woolly hairs around the flowers and on the young leaves.

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 wonganensis</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca wonganensis is an erect shrub in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrow leaves and purple to deep mauve flowers and is restricted in its distribution to the Wongan Hills district.

<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 dichroma</i> Species of shrub

Melaleuca dichroma is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is unusual for its genus in that its flowers are yellow or creamy-white but age to a pinkish-red.

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

Melaleuca glaberrima is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a dense, spreading shrub with needle shaped, but not sharp leaves and profuse pink or mauve flowers.

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

Melaleuca plumea is a shrub in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south of Western Australia. It is a widely spreading, densely foliaged shrub which produces masses of deep pink flowers in spring and early summer. Fluffy hairs on parts of the flowers, including the bracts covering the flower buds, are also a feature.

References

  1. 1 2 "Melaleuca venusta". APNI. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 304–305. ISBN   1876334983.
  3. 1 2 3 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. 376. ISBN   9781922137517.
  4. Craven, L. A.; Lepschi, B. J. (1999). "Enumeration of the species and infraspecific taxa of Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) occurring in Australia and Tasmania". Australian Systematic Botany. 12 (6): 915. doi:10.1071/SB98019 . Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  5. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 132.
  6. "Melaleuca venusta". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.