Melaleuca boeophylla
| Melaleuca boeophylla | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Melaleuca |
| Species: | M. boeophylla |
| Binomial name | |
| Melaleuca boeophylla Craven | |
Melaleuca boeophylla is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is similar to a number of other Western Australian melaleucas such as Melaleuca filifolia with its purple pom-pom flower heads but its leaves are shorter and oval in cross-section.
Description
Melaleuca boeophylla is a twiggy shrub which grows to a height of 2 metres (7 ft) with stems and leaves that are glabrous except when young. Its leaves are arranged alternately, linear to narrow egg-shaped and oval in cross-section, 9.5–25 millimetres (0.4–1 in) long, 1.2–1.7 millimetres (0.05–0.07 in) wide with the leaf blade having the same dimension as the stalk. The tip of the leaf is a rounded point and the oil glands are distinct.[1]
The flowers are a shade of pink to purple and arranged in heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering, sometimes also in the leaf axils. The heads are up to 20 millimetres (0.8 in) in diameter and contain between 6 and 10 groups of flowers in threes. The stamens are arranged in bundles of five around the flower, with 9 to 11 stamens in each bundle. The flowering season is mainly in November and is followed by fruits which are woody capsules, 2.5–3 millimetres (0.1–0.1 in) long. The capsules are in clusters forming an almost spherical football shape.[1][2]
Taxonomy and naming
Melaleuca boeophylla was described in 1999 by Lyndley Craven and Brendan Lepschi in Australian Systematic Botany.[3][4] The specific epithet (boeophylla) is from the Ancient Greek bóeos meaning "strap" or "collar"[5] and phýllon meaning “leaf”[6] referring to the leaf shape of this species.[1]
Distribution and habitat
Melaleuca boeophylla occurs in the Kalbarri district[1] in the Carnarvon and Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic regions.[7]
Conservation
Melaleuca boeophylla is listed as "priority 2" by the Western Australian government Department of Parks and Wildlife[7] meaning that it is known from only a few locations and is not currently in imminent danger.[7] [8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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. 91. ISBN 9781922137517.
- ↑ Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed. ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 110–111. ISBN 1876334983.
- ↑ 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): 863. doi:10.1071/SB98019.
- ↑ "Melaleuca boeophylla". APNI. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
- ↑ "buoy". Wiktionary. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ↑ "bloom". Wiktionary. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Melaleuca boeophylla". FloraBase. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ↑ "Conservation codes for flora and fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia department of parks and wildlife. Retrieved 1 May 2015.