List of Melaleuca species facts for kids

Have you ever seen a plant with flowers that look like a bottle brush? Many of these plants belong to a group called Melaleuca! This is a list of the many different types of plants found in the Melaleuca group.

In 2013, a scientist named Lyndley Craven studied these plants very closely. He described about 290 different kinds of Melaleuca, including some that people used to call "bottlebrushes" (or Callistemon). He even found a brand new species called Melaleuca lophocoracorum!

Not all plant experts agree on whether bottlebrushes should be part of the Melaleuca group. For example, the National Herbarium of New South Wales and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne still see them as separate. But the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in England agrees with Craven. So, a plant like Melaleuca brachyandra is called that by some, but others still call it Callistemon brachyandrus. It's a bit like different schools having different rules for classifying things!

Most Melaleuca plants grow naturally in Australia. But you can also find a few types in parts of Malesia (like Indonesia and Malaysia) and Southeast Asia. There are even 7 special kinds (marked with a star *) that only grow in New Caledonia, an island country in the Pacific Ocean.

What are Melaleucas?

Melaleuca plants are often called paperbarks or honeymyrtles. They are known for their unique flowers that often look like brushes, and some have bark that peels off in layers, like paper. Many of these plants are very important to the environment where they grow.

Different Kinds of Melaleuca Plants

Here is a list of some of the many Melaleuca species. Remember, some of these might also be known as bottlebrushes!

• Melaleuca acacioides - This one is called coastal paperbark.
• Melaleuca acuminata - Known as mallee honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca alsophila - Another type of saltwater paperbark.
• Melaleuca alternifolia - This is the narrow-leaved paperbark.
• Melaleuca argentea - Called silver cajuput or silver-leaved paperbark.
• Melaleuca armillaris - Known as bracelet honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca brachyandra (also Callistemon brachyandrus) - This is the prickly bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca bracteata - You might know it as black teatree or river teatree.
• Melaleuca brevifolia - A type of mallee honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca brevisepala * - One of the species found in New Caledonia.
• Melaleuca buseana * - Another New Caledonian species.
• Melaleuca cajuputi - Called cajuput or white samet.
• Melaleuca cardiophylla - Known as umbrella bush.
• Melaleuca chisholmii (also Callistemon chisholmii) - The Burra bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca citrina (also Callistemon citrinus) - This is the famous crimson bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca coccinea - Called goldfields bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca comboynensis (also Callistemon comboynensis) - The cliff bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca cuticularis - Another saltwater paperbark.
• Melaleuca dealbata - Known as swamp teatree.
• Melaleuca decora - Called white feather honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca decussata - Known as totem poles or cross-leaved honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca dissitiflora - Called creek teatree.
• Melaleuca elliptica - This is the granite bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca ericifolia - Known as swamp paperbark.
• Melaleuca faucicola (also Callistemon pauciflorus) - The desert bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca filifolia - Called wiry honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca flammea (also Callistemon acuminatus) - A tapering-leaved bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca flavovirens (also Callistemon flavovirens) - The green bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca formosa (also Callistemon formosus) - Known as Kingaroy bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca fulgens - Called scarlet honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca gibbosa - A slender honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca glauca (also Callistemon glaucus) - The Albany bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca glomerata - Known as desert honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca gnidioides * - Another species from New Caledonia.
• Melaleuca groveana - Called Grove's paperbark.
• Melaleuca halmaturorum - The kangaroo honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca hemisticta (also Callistemon hemistictus) - The Mount Wheeler bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca howeana - This is the Lord Howe Island teatree.
• Melaleuca huegelii - Known as chenille honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca hypericifolia - Called hillock bush.
• Melaleuca incana - The grey honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca irbyana - Known as weeping paperbark.
• Melaleuca lanceolata - Called Rottnest tea tree or black paperbark.
• Melaleuca lateritia - The robin redbreast bush.
• Melaleuca lazaridis (also Callistemon lazaridis).
• Melaleuca leucadendra - A very common weeping paperbark or white paperbark.
• Melaleuca linariifolia - Called snow-in-summer or narrow-leaved paperbark.
• Melaleuca linearis (also Callistemon linearis) - Another bottlebrush type.
• Melaleuca lophocoracorum - The new species discovered in 2013!
• Melaleuca megalongensis (also Callistemon megalongensis) - The Megalong Valley bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca micromera - Known as wattle honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca minutifolia - Simply called teatree.
• Melaleuca montana (also Callistemon montanus) - The mountain bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca montis-zamia (also Callistemon montis-zamiae).
• Melaleuca nanophylla - A dwarf-leaved honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca nematophylla - Another wiry honeymyrtle.

Melaleuca nervosa is also known as fibrebark.

• Melaleuca nervosa (also Callistemon nervosus) - Called fibrebark.
• Melaleuca nesophila - Known as showy honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca nodosa - The prickly-leaved paperbark.
• Melaleuca orophila (also Callistemon teretifolius) - The needle bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca oxyphylla - A pointed-leaved honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca pachyphylla (also Callistemon pachyphyllus) - The wallum bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca pallida (also Callistemon pallidus) - The lemon bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca paludicola (also Callistemon paludosus) - The river bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca pancheri * - Another New Caledonian species.
• Melaleuca pauperiflora - Called Boree.
• Melaleuca pearsonii (also Callistemon pearsonii) - The Blackdown bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca phoenicea (also Callistemon phoeniceus) - The scarlet bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca phratra (also Callistemon phratra).
• Melaleuca polandii (also Callistemon polandii) - The gold-tipped bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca preissiana - Known as stout paperbark.
• Melaleuca pulchella - Called claw flower.
• Melaleuca pustulata - The warty or Cranbrook paperbark.
• Melaleuca pyramidalis (also Callistemon pyramidalis).
• Melaleuca quadrifaria - The limestone honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca quercina (also Callistemon quercinus) - The Oakey bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca quinquenervia - A broad-leaved paperbark, also called niaouli.
• Melaleuca radula - The graceful honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca recurva (also Callistemon recurvus) - The Tinaroo bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca rhaphiophylla - Another swamp paperbark.
• Melaleuca rugulosa (also Callistemon rugulosus) - Another scarlet bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca sabrina (also Callistemon sabrina).
• Melaleuca salicina (also Callistemon salignus) - The white or willow bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca scabra - The rough honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca sciotostyla - Known as Wongan melaleuca.
• Melaleuca serpentina (also Callistemon serpentinus).
• Melaleuca sheathiana - Called boree.
• Melaleuca shiressii (also Callistemon shiressii).
• Melaleuca sphaerodendra * - Another New Caledonian species.
• Melaleuca squamea - The swamp honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca squarrosa - Known as scented paperbark.
• Melaleuca stenostachya - Called fibre-barked teatree.
• Melaleuca styphelioides - Another prickly-leaved paperbark.
• Melaleuca suberosa - The corky honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca subulata (also Callistemon subulatus).
• Melaleuca systena - Called coastal honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca tamariscina - The bush-house paperbark.
• Melaleuca teretifolia - Known as banbar.
• Melaleuca thymifolia - The thyme honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca thyoides - Called salt lake honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca uncinata - The broom bush or broom honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca undulata - The hidden honeymyrtle.
• Melaleuca viminalis (also Callistemon viminalis) - The famous weeping or creek bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca viminea - Called mohan.
• Melaleuca violacea.
• Melaleuca virens (also Callistemon viridiflorus) - The lime bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca viridiflora - Another broad-leaved paperbark.
• Melaleuca williamsii (also Callistemon pungens).
• Melaleuca wilsonii - Wilson's or violet honey-myrtle.
• Melaleuca wimmerensis (also Callistemon wimmerensis) - The Wimmera bottlebrush.
• Melaleuca wonganensis.
• Melaleuca xerophila.
• Melaleuca zonalis.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Especies de Melaleuca para niños