Melaleuca depressa facts for kids

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

Melaleuca depressa is a special type of plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. You can only find it growing naturally in the south-west part of Western Australia. This plant is a small, bushy shrub that usually has pretty clusters of yellow or cream-colored flowers. These flowers appear at the ends of its branches during springtime.

What Melaleuca depressa Looks Like

Melaleuca depressa usually grows to be about 0.5 meters (about 1.6 feet) tall. But sometimes, in good conditions, it can grow taller, up to 2 meters (about 6.5 feet).

Its leaves are arranged one after another along the stem. They are usually between 6.4 and 12.5 millimeters (about 0.25 to 0.5 inches) long and 1.4 to 5.5 millimeters (about 0.05 to 0.2 inches) wide. The leaves are shaped like an oval or a narrow oval. They have a very short stalk and a pointed tip, but it's not sharp.

The flowers of this plant are cream to yellow in color. They grow in small groups at the very tips of the branches. Even after the flowers bloom, the branches keep growing. Sometimes, flowers also appear where the leaves meet the stem (called the upper leaf axils). Each group of flowers has between 2 and 6 smaller sets, with three flowers in each set.

The petals, which are the colorful parts of the flower, are about 2.5 to 3.0 millimeters (about 0.1 inches) long. They fall off as the flower opens up. Inside the flower, there are five groups of stamens (the parts that produce pollen). Each group has 9 to 13 stamens.

Melaleuca depressa flowers from July to November, but you'll see most of its blooms in September. After the flowers, the plant grows woody capsules, which are like small seed pods. These capsules are 3 to 4.5 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.2 inches) long. They still have parts of the sepals (small leaf-like structures that protect the bud) on them, looking like tiny teeth.

How it Got its Name

The plant Melaleuca depressa was first officially described in 1904. A scientist named Ludwig Diels gave it its formal description. He wrote about it in a scientific book called Botanische jahrbucher fur systematik, pflanzengeschichte und pflanzengeographie. The longer title of his work meant "Contributions to the knowledge of the plants of West Australia, where they are found and their conditions of existence."

The second part of its scientific name, depressa, comes from a Latin word meaning "flattened from above" or "somewhat sunken in the middle." It's not completely clear why Diels chose this name for the plant.

Where Melaleuca depressa Lives

You can find Melaleuca depressa growing in the Geraldton and Northampton areas of Western Australia. These areas are part of special natural regions called the Avon Wheatbelt and Geraldton Sandplains.

This plant prefers to grow in sandy soils. These soils are usually found over sandstone and limestone rock formations.

Conservation Status

The good news is that the Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Melaleuca depressa as "not threatened." This means it's not currently at risk of disappearing.

Images for kids

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  M. depressa growing in its natural habitat

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  M. depressa foliage and flowers

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  M. depressa fruit

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  M. depressa bark