Callistemon pityoides
| Callistemon pityoides | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Thicket of Callistemon pityoides Baw Baw National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Callistemon |
| Species: | C. pityoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Callistemon pityoides F.Muell.[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Callistemon pityoides (Alpine Bottlebrush) is a shrub species in the family Myrtaceae. It is native to the states of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria in Australia.
Description
Plants grow in thickets with heights usually ranging between 1 and 2.5 metres and have silver-grey new growth.[2][1]
The thick, almost cylindrical leaves are 10 to 20 mm long and 0.75 to 1.5 mm wide with sharply pointed tips.
Golden yellow or cream flower spikes are mostly produced between November and February in the species native range. These may be tinged with pink or green.[1]
History
The name Melaleuca pithyoides [sic] was first mentioned without description in 1853 by Victorian Government Botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in his First General Report of the Government Botanist on the Vegetation of the Colony in 1853.[3] Mueller had collected non-flowering plant material from Mount Buffalo on an expedition earlier that year.[4] In 1883, he formally described the species under its current name in Australian Chemist and Druggist, based on material gathered from the environs of the Ovens River and Dumaresque River.[5] The species epithet pityoides is derived from the Greek pitys, (pine) and oides (like) referring to the pine-like foliage.[2] In a 2006 paper "New Combinations in Melaleuca for Australian Species of Callistemon (Myrtaceae)", Lyndley Craven, a research botanist from the Australian National Herbarium proposed that this species should be renamed as Melaleuca pityoides.[5]
Cultivation
Plants are well-suited to cool climates and have been grown successfully in England.[6] They prefer medium to heavy soils and can withstand poor drainage.[6]
Plants originating from higher elevations are more compact than those from lower elevations but have a scarcity of flowers when planted at lower altitudes.[6]
Propagation is from seed from older capsules or tip cuttings of current season's growth.[2]
Cultivars include:
- C. pityoides 'Cobberas Dwarf', also known as 'Little Cobber'[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Callistemon pityoides". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2009-11-04.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Callistemon pityoides". Growing Native Plants. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ↑ "Melaleuca pityoides F.Muell.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
- ↑ "Melaleuca pityoides F.Muell. ex Benth.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Callistemon pityoides F.Muell.". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Callistemon pityoides". Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Retrieved 2 January 2012.
