Melaleuca bromelioides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca bromelioides |
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| M. bromelioides growing near Ravensthorpe | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Melaleuca
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| Species: |
bromelioides
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Melaleuca bromelioides is a special plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This plant is easy to spot because of its unique, prickly leaves that look a bit like pine needles. Its flowers are also interesting, as they change color from white to reddish as they get older.
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What it Looks Like
Melaleuca bromelioides is a shrub that usually grows to be about 1 to 1.5 meters (around 3 to 5 feet) tall. Most of its leaves and branches are smooth, meaning they don't have hairs.
Leaves
The leaves of this plant are packed closely together. They look a lot like pine needles. Each leaf is about 7 to 13 millimeters (around 0.3 to 0.5 inches) long. They are also about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) wide. The leaves are long and thin, and they get narrower towards the end, finishing with a sharp point.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Melaleuca bromelioides start out white. As they get older, they slowly change color to a reddish shade. These flowers grow in small groups at the ends of the branches. Even after the flowers bloom, the branches keep growing. Each group of flowers has about 2 to 10 individual flowers. The whole group is about 15 to 20 millimeters (0.6 to 0.8 inches) wide.
The flowers usually appear in September and October. After the flowers, the plant grows woody fruits. These fruits are shaped like a cylinder or a barrel. They are about 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 inches) long and 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.2 inches) wide. These fruits are called capsules and they hold the plant's seeds.
How it Got its Name
The plant Melaleuca bromelioides was first officially described in 1988. This was done by a scientist named Bryan Barlow. He found a sample of the plant near a place called Lake King.
The second part of its scientific name, bromelioides, helps us understand something about the plant. It refers to how its flowers look similar to a type of plant called a bromeliad.
Where it Grows
This special melaleuca plant only grows in the Esperance area. This is a narrow strip of land in Western Australia. It stretches from Lake King to Mount Heywood.
You can find it in different types of environments. It grows in sandy or clay soils on flat areas. It can be found in places with mallee trees, eucalypt woodlands, and scrublands.
Conservation Status
The good news is that Melaleuca bromelioides is not considered to be in danger. The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has officially classified it as "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants in the wild for now.
Images for kids
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M. bromelioides foliage, flowers and fruit
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M. bromelioides habit
