Melaleuca spectabilis

Melaleuca spectabilis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was formerly known as a subspecies of Melaleuca longistaminea. It is a low, prickly shrub with yellow or lime-green flowers in spring and early summer.

Melaleuca spectabilis
M. spectabilis leaves and flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. spectabilis
Binomial name
Melaleuca spectabilis
(Barlow ex Craven) Craven & Lepschi[1]

Description

Melaleuca spectabilis is a spreading or prostrate shrub growing to about 2 m (7 ft) tall with branches and leaves that are glabrous when mature. Its leaves are arranged alternately, 4.5–13.5 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and 3–11.5 mm (0.1–0.5 in) wide, heart-shaped with a sharp point on the end and with at least the lower part of the leaf pressed against the stem.[2][3]

The flowers are yellow to lime-green and arranged in heads on the sides of the branches. Each head contains 5 to 15 individual flowers and is up to 45 mm (1.8 in) in diameter. The petals are 4.5–6.5 mm (0.18–0.26 in) long (compared to 3–3.7 mm (0.12–0.15 in) in M. longistaminea) and fall off as the flowers mature. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flowers and there are 9 to 24 stamens per bundle. The flowering period is from August to late November and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 3.5–6.5 mm (0.14–0.26 in) long with teeth around the edges and in clusters along the branches.[2][3][4]

M. spectabilis growing near Geraldton
M. spectabilis fruit

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca longistaminea subsp. spectabilis was first described in 1999 by Bryan Barlow and Lyndley Craven in Australian Systematic Botany.[5] It was raised to species status in 2010 by Craven, Lepschi and Cowley in Nuytsia.[3][1] The specific epithet (spectabilis) is a Latin word meaning "notable", "showy" or "remarkable"[6] referring to the showy flowers[2]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs in the Geraldton and Ajana districts[2] in the Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic region.[7] The plants grow in scrub and low heath in sandy or gravelly clay loam.[2]

Conservation

Melaleuca spectabilis is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.[7]

References
  1. "Melaleuca spectabilis". APNI. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  2. 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. 332. ISBN 9781922137517.
  3. Craven, Lyndley A.; Lepschi, Brendan J.; Cowley, Kirsten (2010). "Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) of Western Australia: five new species, three new combinations, one new name and a new state record" (PDF). Nuytsia. 20: 33–34. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  4. Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 178–179. ISBN 1876334983.
  5. "Melaleuca longistaminea subsp. spectabilis". APNI. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 132.
  7. "Melaleuca spectabilis". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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