Melaleuca calyptroides facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca calyptroides |
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| Melaleuca calyptroides in Watheroo National Park | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Melaleuca |
| Species: |
M. calyptroides
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| Binomial name | |
| Melaleuca calyptroides Craven
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Melaleuca calyptroides is a special plant from the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This plant is a type of Melaleuca, which are often called honey myrtles.
It looks a bit like other melaleucas from Western Australia, such as M. hollidayi. It has leaves that are almost round like a pencil and purple, fluffy flower heads that look like pom-poms. It also grows close to the ground. However, Melaleuca calyptroides has longer leaves that feel a bit bumpy. Its flowers grow in smaller groups than some other similar plants. The part of the flower that holds the seeds, called a woody capsule, is also longer.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
Melaleuca calyptroides is a small shrub that usually does not grow very tall. It can reach about 1.5 meters (5 feet) high. Its leaves are arranged one after another along the stem. They are long and thin, almost like a circle if you cut them in half.
Each leaf is about 5.5 to 28 millimeters (0.2 to 1.1 inches) long. They are also about 0.7 to 1.7 millimeters (0.03 to 0.07 inches) wide. Many of the leaves have tiny, raised bumps. These bumps are actually special oil glands.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of this plant are usually pink or purple. They can grow alone or in small bunches at the ends of branches. These branches keep growing even after the flowers have bloomed. Sometimes, flowers also appear where the leaves meet the stem.
The flower bunches can be up to 30 millimeters (1.2 inches) wide. Each bunch usually has one or two groups of three flowers. Sometimes, there can be up to nine individual flowers. The petals are about 2 to 5.5 millimeters (0.08 to 0.2 inches) long. They fall off as the flower opens up.
Inside the flower, there are many thin parts called stamens. These are grouped into five bundles around the center of the flower. Each bundle usually has 8 to 15 stamens. Melaleuca calyptroides blooms from July to November. After the flowers, it grows woody fruits. These fruits are like small, hard capsules, about 3.5 to 6 millimeters (0.14 to 0.24 inches) long.
How It Got Its Name
Melaleuca calyptroides was first officially described in 1999. Two scientists, Lyndley Craven and Brendan Lepschi, gave it its name. They wrote about it in a science journal called Australian Systematic Botany. They found a sample of the plant near Southern Cross.
The second part of its name, calyptroides, comes from Ancient Greek words. "Kalypto" means "cover" or "conceal." The ending "-oides" is a Latin suffix that means "resembling" or "having the form of." So, the name describes something about how the plant looks or grows.
Where It Grows
This melaleuca plant is found in several areas of Western Australia. You can see it in places like Watheroo, Morawa, Merredin, Hyden, and Coolgardie.
It grows in different types of natural areas. These include open shrublands and areas with low, dense bushes called heath. It prefers to grow in sandy soil mixed with clay. This soil often sits on top of a hard, reddish rock layer called laterite.
Is It Endangered?
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants. They have listed Melaleuca calyptroides as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
Images for kids
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A view of the Melaleuca calyptroides plant in its natural habitat.
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A close-up view of the flowers of Melaleuca calyptroides.
