Melaleuca caeca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca caeca |
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| Melaleuca caeca flowers near Arrowsmith | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Melaleuca |
| Species: |
M. caeca
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| Binomial name | |
| Melaleuca caeca Craven
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Melaleuca caeca is a special plant from the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it's unique to that area! It looks a bit like other plants in the melaleuca group, especially M. pentagona, which also has purple, pom-pom-like flowers. But Melaleuca caeca is a smaller bush. It also has thinner leaves and smaller flower clusters.
Contents
What Melaleuca caeca Looks Like
Melaleuca caeca is a small shrub that can grow up to 1 m (3 ft) tall. Its stems and leaves are smooth, meaning they don't have hairs. The only time they might have tiny hairs is when they are very young.
The leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are long and thin, or sometimes shaped like a narrow egg. Each leaf is about 8–21.5 mm (0.3–0.8 in) long and 1–2.5 mm (0.04–0.1 in) wide. They usually have a rounded tip.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Melaleuca caeca are a pretty pink to purple color. They grow in round clusters or short spikes at the ends of branches. These branches keep growing even after the flowers bloom. Sometimes, flowers also appear where the upper leaves meet the stem.
Each flower cluster is about 15 mm (0.6 in) across. It holds 5 to 12 small groups of three flowers each. Inside each flower, there are bundles of stamens (the parts that make pollen). There are 4 to 7 stamens in each bundle.
This plant usually flowers in September and October. After the flowers, small, woody capsules (which are like seed pods) grow. These fruit are 2–3.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. They form a round cluster around the stems.
How Melaleuca caeca Got Its Name
The plant Melaleuca caeca was officially described in 1999. This was done by two scientists, Lyndley Craven and Brendan Lepschi. They wrote about it in a science journal called Australian Systematic Botany. They found the first example of this plant near a place called Arrino.
The second part of its name, caeca, comes from a Latin word meaning "blind." This name was chosen because many botanists (plant scientists) had visited the area where this plant grows. But very few of them had actually noticed this particular species!
Where Melaleuca caeca Grows
This melaleuca plant is found in a few specific areas of Western Australia. These include the Arrino and Gingin Brook districts. It grows in different types of natural areas. You can find it in sandy or loamy soil. It likes to grow in heathlands (areas with small shrubs) and woodlands (areas with trees).
Conservation Status
Good news! The Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife says that Melaleuca caeca is "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
