Common name: Swamp Honey-myrtle
Melaleuca squamea Labill. APNI* 
Description: Shrub to 3 m high with corky bark, young branchlets villous.
Leaves alternate, often curved towards the apex of the stem, lanceolate, 5–12 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, with 3–5 longitudinal veins, apex acute, glabrous; petiole to 1.5 mm long.
Inflorescences heads or spikes to 2 cm long; rachis villous. Flowers solitary within each bract, pink to purple; bracts 3–5-veined, persistent until after flowering. Petals ± circular, 2–3 mm long. Stamens 4–9 per bundle; claw up to 1 mm long.
Fruit ovoid, 5–7 mm diam., orifice 2–4 mm diam.; sepals absent.
Flowering: spring.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in heath communities on wet ground; coastal districts and adjacent ranges, south from the Tweed R.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, CT
Other Australian states: Vic. Tas. S.A.
Text by Peter. G. Wilson
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 2 (1991)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|
