Melaleuca concreta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melaleuca concreta
Melaleuca concreta growing near Geraldton.
Scientific classification
Genus:	Melaleuca
Species:	concreta

Melaleuca concreta is a special kind of plant from the Myrtaceae family, which includes plants like eucalyptus. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This means it's endemic there, found nowhere else naturally. Its name, concreta, comes from how its fruits are packed together very tightly.

What it Looks Like and How it Grows

Melaleuca concreta is a shrub that stands upright. It can grow up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) tall and wide, but sometimes it can reach as high as 6 meters (nearly 20 feet)! Its bark feels like paper.

When the leaves are young, they are covered in soft, silky hairs. They are usually between 30 and 80 millimeters (about 1 to 3 inches) long and 2 to 4 millimeters (less than an inch) wide. They are shaped like a very narrow spear or a line, with a pointed tip and a clear line down the middle.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers of Melaleuca concreta grow in clusters at the ends of branches and where leaves meet the stem (these spots are called axils). Each cluster is about 10 to 15 millimeters (less than an inch) across and holds 4 to 18 groups of three flowers. The flowers are usually cream, white, or yellow. Their petals fall off quickly once the flower opens.

Inside the flower, there are five groups of stamens (the parts that make pollen). Each group has 3 to 9 stamens. This plant usually flowers from August to November, especially in October and November. After the flowers, it grows woody fruits called capsules. These capsules are packed together very tightly in almost round clusters, up to about 10 millimeters (less than half an inch) wide. Each individual fruit is about 2 to 4 millimeters across.

How it Got its Name

The plant Melaleuca concreta was first officially described in 1862 by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He wrote about it in a book called Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. He found a sample of the plant in a rocky area near the Murchison River, collected by Augustus Oldfield.

The name concreta comes from a Latin word, concretus. This word means "grown together" or "condensed," which perfectly describes how the plant's fruits are tightly packed.

Where it Lives

This melaleuca plant grows in many areas of Western Australia. You can find it from the Murchison River area all the way south to places like Cataby and Regans Ford. It lives in different biogeographic regions, which are areas with similar plants, animals, and climates.

It likes to grow in sandy soil or a mix of sand and clay (called loam). You can often spot it on sandstone rocks, sandy plains, and hills made of limestone. It grows among many different types of plants.

Is it Endangered?

Good news! The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife lists Melaleuca concreta as "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.

Images for kids

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  Melaleuca concreta growing near Geraldton.

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  Leaves, buds, and flowers of Melaleuca concreta.

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  The tightly packed fruits of Melaleuca concreta.

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  The papery bark of Melaleuca concreta.