Melaleuca squarrosa
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Melaleuca squarrosa is a species of plant fromthe myrtle family (Myrtaceae)native to Australia.
features
Melaleuca squarrosa is a shrub or small tree and can reach heights of up to 12 m. The bark is paper. The leaves are opposite to almost opposite. They are oval to broadly oval, 5–15 mm long and 4–7 mm wide. The end of the leaf is pointed to sharply pointed, 5 to 7 longitudinal nerves are visible. The blade is bald or sometimes hairy. The petiole is up to 1 mm long.
The inflorescences are terminal, dense spikes 1.5 to 4 cm in length. The inflorescence axis is hairy. The flowers stand in threes in the armpits of bracts. They are white to yellowish, the petals are sometimes pink. The petals are oval to circular, and up to 2 mm long.
The fruit is cup-shaped and has a diameter of around 4 mm. The opening is around 3 mm. The sepals do not remain on the fruit.
Distribution and locations
Melaleuca squarrosa is native to Australia and is found in the states of South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria.
In New South Wales, the species grows in heather and dry sclerophyll forest in moist locations. It occurs in the coastal areas and the neighboring hills south of Sydney.
In Tasmania, Melaleuca squarrosa forms a 2 to 3 m high scrub with closed vegetation. This scrub grows over peat on poorly drained plains . In addition to the dominant Melaleuca squarrosa , which takes up around 75% of the area, there are also Melaleuca squamea , Banksia marginata , Hakea epiglottis and Acacia mucronata on shrubs . Button grass and sedges such as Baloskion tetraphyllum , Leptocarpus tenax , Lepyrodia tasmanica and Gahnia grandis grow in open areas . This type of vegetation is widespread in western Tasmania, but is also found in the northeast and northwest of the island.
Taxonomy
The species Melaleuca squarrosa was first described in 1802 by James Edward Smith in Volume 6 of the "Transactions of the Linnean Society of London". He was referring to a work by Donn, in which the latter had already used the name without describing the species.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e Melaleuca squarrosa on New South Wales Flora online , accessed September 12, 2012.
- ↑ a b Melaleuca squarrosa in the Australian Plant Name Index , accessed September 12, 2012.
- ↑ Melaleuca squarrosa scrub SMR (PDF; 54 kB) In: Tasveg . Department of Primary Industries and Water, Tasmania. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
