Melaleuca concreta

Melaleuca concreta
M. concreta growing near Geraldton.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species: M. concreta
Binomial name
Melaleuca concreta
F.Muell.

Melaleuca concreta is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. The species name (concreta) refers to the way the fruits are tightly packed together.

Description

Melaleuca concreta is an erect shrub with papery bark growing to 2 m (7 ft) high and wide but sometimes as high as 6 m (20 ft). The leaves, which are covered with silky hairs when young, are 17–112 mm (0.7–4 in) long (more usually 30–80 mm (1–3 in)) and 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) wide, and oval in cross section. Their shape is linear or very narrow lance-shaped, with a pointed, although not prickly end and a prominent mid-vein.[1][2]

The flowers are arranged in heads 10–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) across on the ends of the branches and in leaf axils, each head containing 4 to 18 groups of three flowers. The flowers are cream to white or yellow with petals that fall off as the flower opens or soon after. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 3 to 9 stamens. Flowering occurs from August to November, mainly October and November and the fruit that follow are woody capsules in tight, almost spherical clusters up to 9.8 mm (0.4 in) in diameter and each fruit about 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) in diameter.[1][2][3]

M. concreta leaves, buds and flowers
M. concreta fruit
M. concreta bark

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca concreta was first formally described in 1862 by Ferdinand Mueller in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from a specimen found "in a rocky place near the Murchison River by Augustus Oldfield".[4][5] The specific epithet (concreta) is derived from the Latin word concretus meaning "condensed"[6] referring to the tightly packed fruit.[2]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs from the Murchison River district south to the Cataby and Regans Ford districts[2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Carnarvon , Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Murchison, Swan Coastal Plain and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.[7] It grows in sandy soil or loam on sandstone outcrops, sandplains and limestone rises[8] in a variety of vegetation associations.[1][2][3]

Conservation

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 62–63. ISBN 1876334983.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 127–128. ISBN 9781922137517.
  3. 1 2 Corrick, Margaret G.; Fuhrer, Bruce A. (2009). Wildflowers of southern Western Australia (3rd ed.). [Kenthurst, N.S.W.]: Rosenberg Pub. p. 132. ISBN 9781877058844. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Melaleuca concreta". APNI. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Ferdinand, Mueller (1862). "Melaleuca concreta". Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae 3 (21): 118. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  6. ↑ "concretus". Wiktionary. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Melaleuca concreta". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.
  8. ↑ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 392. ISBN 0646402439.
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