White feather honeymyrtle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White feather honeymyrtle |
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| Melaleuca decora leaves and flowers | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melaleuca
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| Species: |
decora
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| Synonyms | |
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Metrosideros decora Salisb. |
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The white feather honeymyrtle (scientific name: Melaleuca decora) is a beautiful plant from the myrtle family. It grows naturally in eastern Australia. This plant can be a large bush or a small tree. It has bark that feels like paper and long, thin leaves. In summer, it blooms with sweet-smelling, creamy-white flowers. You can often find it growing in forests near the coast and in swampy areas in New South Wales and Queensland.
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What Does the White Feather Honeymyrtle Look Like?
The white feather honeymyrtle has bark that looks and feels like paper. It can be brown or whitish. This plant usually grows into a small tree, reaching about 10 m (30 ft) tall. Some very tall ones can even grow over 20 m (70 ft)!
Its leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are about 7.8–16.5 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long and 1–2 mm (0.04–0.08 in) wide. The leaves are flat and shaped like a narrow oval, getting thinner towards the end.
The flowers are creamy-white or white. They grow in groups called "spikes" at the ends of branches. These branches keep growing even after the flowers bloom. Sometimes, flowers also appear on the sides of the branches. Each flower spike is about 17 mm (0.7 in) wide and 20–50 mm (0.8–2 in) long. It can have anywhere from 3 to 30 small groups of flowers, usually in sets of three.
The flower petals are shaped like an egg and are about 2–2.5 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long. They fall off as the flower gets older. Inside the flowers, there are many stamens (the parts that make pollen). These stamens are grouped into five bundles, with 20 to 40 stamens in each bundle.
The main time for flowering is from November to January. After the flowers, the plant grows woody fruit capsules. These capsules are 2–3 mm (0.08–0.1 in) long and are spaced out along the stems.
How Did It Get Its Name?
This plant was first officially described in 1796 by a person named Richard Anthony Salisbury. He gave it the name Metrosideros decora. The second part of the name, decora, comes from a Latin word meaning "beautiful" or "fitting."
Later, in 1916, James Britten moved the plant to a different group of plants called Melaleuca. That's how it got its current scientific name, Melaleuca decora.
Where Does It Grow?
The white feather honeymyrtle grows in Queensland, south of the Burnett River area. It also grows in New South Wales, north of the Shoalhaven River. You can find it in sandy or heavy soils in open forests and swamps, especially in areas near the coast.
How People Use This Plant
The white feather honeymyrtle is a strong plant that can grow in many different types of soil. It needs a lot of water and can even grow well in places where the soil doesn't drain very quickly. Because it grows thick and flowers a lot, it's a good plant to use if you want to create a natural screen or hedge in a garden.
Images for kids
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M. decora growing in East Ryde
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M. decora fruit
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Mistletoe (Amyema gaudichaudii) on M. decora
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M. decora in a suburban street in Sydney
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M. decora near Melita Stadium and Duck River Reserve
