Family: Myrtaceae
Plant: A spreading shrub up to 1m high with wiry stems and corky bark.
Flowers: Pink to mauve fluffy flowers borne on old wood low on the plant in irregular clusters 2cm diameter. The flowers have numerous claw-like stamens.
Flowering: October-January.
Fruit: Woody cup-shaped capsule 3-5mm diameter with distinctive teeth around rim and borne in small clusters around the stems.
Leaves: Stiff narrow elliptic, up to 1.5cm long and 1-3mm wide with a pointed tip and oil dots. The leaves are oppositely arranged.
Habitat: In damp locations in dry sclerophyll forest, heathland and swamp margins.
Features: Pink to mauve fluffy flowers low on plant. Woody capsule with teeth around its edge.
Name:
Melaleuca From Greek melas = black and leucos = white (referring to its black wood and white branches)
thymifolia From its leaves being similar to those of Thyme
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Type |
Shrub |
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Flowers |
Form |
Irregular, Cluster |
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|
Colour(s) |
Pink, Mauve |
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|
Petal/Sepal No. |
- |
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Flowering Month |
1, 10, 11, 12 |
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Fruit |
Type |
Capsule |
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|
Colour |
Brown |
|
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Other Features |
Woody, Hard |
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Leaves |
Arrangement |
Opposite |
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|
Type |
Simple |
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Shape |
Oval, Linear |
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Length |
Short |
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Margins |
Entire |
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Attachment |
Stalked, Unstalked |
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Other Features |
Tapered-tip, Aromatic, |
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|
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Oil dots/Glands |
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Bark |
Scaly/Corky |
|
|
Habitat |
Dry sclerophyll forest, Heathland, Fresh |
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Water Habitat |
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