Melaleuca eulobata

Melaleuca eulobata is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. It is a shrub resembling Melaleuca campanae with its heads of pink flowers in late spring but is distinguished from that species by its sepals - in M. campane these are reduced to a ring of tissue but M. eulobata has distinct calyx lobes.

Melaleuca eulobata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. eulobata
Binomial name
Melaleuca eulobata

Description

Melaleuca eulobata is a shrub growing to 2 m (7 ft) tall with the young branches covered with short, silky hairs. Its leaves are arranged alternately, 10–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long, 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide, flat, narrow egg-shaped with the end tapering to a point and three parallel veins.[1][2]

The flowers are purple and arranged in heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering, sometimes also in the upper leaf axils. The heads are up to 22 mm (0.9 in) in diameter and composed of 4 to 7 groups of flowers in threes. The petals are 1–1.7 mm (0.04–0.07 in) long and fall off as the flower opens. There are five bundles of stamens around the flower, each with 9 or 10 stamens. Flowering occurs mainly in September and October and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) long, in almost spherical clusters around the stem.[1][2]

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca eulobata was first formally described in 1999 by Lyndley Craven in Australian Systematic Botany from a specimen collected on the road to Monkey Mia.[3][4] The specific epithet (eulobata) is from the Ancient Greek eu- meaning “well", "thoroughly” or "truly" and lobos, "lobe", referring to the distinct calyx lobes.[1]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs near Shark Bay[2] in the Carnarvon and Yalgoo biogeographic regions[5] where it grows in scrubland in pebbly sand.[5]

Conservation status

Melaleuca eulobata is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.[5]

References
  1. 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. 156. ISBN 9781922137517.
  2. Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 46–47. ISBN 1876334983.
  3. "Melaleuca eulobata". APNI. Retrieved 4 May 2015.
  4. 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): 875. doi:10.1071/SB98019.
  5. "Melaleuca eulobata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
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