Melaleuca manglesii

Melaleuca manglesii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species: M. manglesii
Binomial name
Melaleuca manglesii
Schauer

Melaleuca manglesii is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a low, spreading shrub which produces large numbers of heads of purple flowers with yellow tips in spring.

Description

Melaleuca manglesii is a shrub growing to about 1.5 metres (5 ft) high and wide. The leaves are arranged alternately, 3.0–7.5 millimetres (0.1–0.3 in) long, 1.0–1.6 millimetres (0.04–0.06 in) wide, narrow elliptic in shape and with a rounded ends.[1]

The flowers are arranged in heads at or near the ends of the branches which continue to grow after flowering. The heads are up to 22 millimetres (0.9 in) in diameter and contain between 2 and 8 groups of flowers in threes. The petals are 1.8–2.0 millimetres (0.071–0.079 in) long and fall off soon after the flower opens. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flowers and are deep pink or mauve in colour tipped with a yellow stigma. There are 5 to 7 stamens in each bundle. Flowering occurs in spring and is followed by fruits which are woody, cup-shaped capsules 2.8–4 millimetres (0.11–0.16 in) long, arranged in small groups along the stem.[1][2]

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first described in 1844 by Johannes Conrad Schauer in Plantae Preissianae.[3] The specific epithet (mangles) is in honour of James Mangles, a collector of Western Australian plants.[1]

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca manglesii occurs between Wyalkatchem, Meckering and Kellerberrin[2] in the Avon Wheatbelt biogeographic region. It grows in scrub on sand.[4]

Uses

Horticulture

This species has been cultivated in Western Australia in well drained soils however it is probably not suited to the more humid eastern states of Australia.[2]

Essential oils

The oil from the leaves of this species consists mainly of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes at the rate of 0.5% (weight/fresh weight).[1]

References

  1. 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. 238. ISBN 9781922137517.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed. ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 182–183. ISBN 1876334983.
  3. "Melaleuca mangles". APNI. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  4. "Melaleuca mangles". FloraBase. Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Western Australia.

External links

Wikispecies has information related to: Melaleuca manglesii