Melaleuca cordata | |
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Scientific classification
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Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Melaleuca |
Species: | M. cordata
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Binomial name | |
Melaleuca cordata | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Melaleuca cordata is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with erect branches, heart-shaped leaves and clusters of pinkish-red to purple flowers over an extended period.
Melaleuca cordata is an erect, bushy shrub which grows to a height of between 0.3 and 3 m (1 and 10 ft) with dark grey, fibrous bark. Its leaves are egg-shaped to heart-shaped, between 7.5 and 30 mm (0.3 and 1 in) long and wide with a very short, or no stalk. They are glabrous when mature, spirally arranged around the stem with 5 to 9 veins and have a pointed end. [2] [3]
The flowers are deep pink to purplish-red, forming roughly spherical heads of flowers, thickly clustered on or near the ends of the stems. The flowers appear for extended periods from late spring to mid-summer. The fruit which follow flowering are woody capsules about 4 mm (0.2 in) in diameter, arranged in roughly spherical clusters. [2] [3]
Melaleuca cordata was first formally described in 1852 by the Russian botanist, Nikolai Turczaninow. [4] The Latin specific epithet (cordata) means " cordate" or "heart-shaped", [2] [5] [6] [7] referring to the shape of the leaves. [2]
This melaleuca is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia from the Geraldton- Mullewa districts south to the Lake Grace- Lake King area and east to Coolgardie. [3] It occurs in the Coolgardie, Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee and Warren biogeographic regions. [8] It grows in a range of habitats including sandy, often gravelly soils on sandplains. [9]
Melaleuca cordata is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]
Its unusual foliage and long flowering period may make M. cordata an attractive and useful garden plant. It grows in a wide range of soils in temperate areas with low winter rainfall. [3]
Melaleuca cordata | |
---|---|
| |
Scientific classification
![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Melaleuca |
Species: | M. cordata
|
Binomial name | |
Melaleuca cordata | |
Synonyms [1] | |
|
Melaleuca cordata is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small shrub with erect branches, heart-shaped leaves and clusters of pinkish-red to purple flowers over an extended period.
Melaleuca cordata is an erect, bushy shrub which grows to a height of between 0.3 and 3 m (1 and 10 ft) with dark grey, fibrous bark. Its leaves are egg-shaped to heart-shaped, between 7.5 and 30 mm (0.3 and 1 in) long and wide with a very short, or no stalk. They are glabrous when mature, spirally arranged around the stem with 5 to 9 veins and have a pointed end. [2] [3]
The flowers are deep pink to purplish-red, forming roughly spherical heads of flowers, thickly clustered on or near the ends of the stems. The flowers appear for extended periods from late spring to mid-summer. The fruit which follow flowering are woody capsules about 4 mm (0.2 in) in diameter, arranged in roughly spherical clusters. [2] [3]
Melaleuca cordata was first formally described in 1852 by the Russian botanist, Nikolai Turczaninow. [4] The Latin specific epithet (cordata) means " cordate" or "heart-shaped", [2] [5] [6] [7] referring to the shape of the leaves. [2]
This melaleuca is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia from the Geraldton- Mullewa districts south to the Lake Grace- Lake King area and east to Coolgardie. [3] It occurs in the Coolgardie, Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee and Warren biogeographic regions. [8] It grows in a range of habitats including sandy, often gravelly soils on sandplains. [9]
Melaleuca cordata is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. [8]
Its unusual foliage and long flowering period may make M. cordata an attractive and useful garden plant. It grows in a wide range of soils in temperate areas with low winter rainfall. [3]