Melaleuca eximia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca eximia |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melaleuca
|
| Species: |
eximia
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Melaleuca coccinea subsp. eximia K.J.Cowley |
|
Melaleuca eximia is a special plant from the myrtle family. It grows only in the southern part of Western Australia. You can spot it by its unique leaves, its big, bright red flowers, and the fuzzy, heart-shaped leaves (called bracts) found under the flowers.
Contents
What it Looks Like
Melaleuca eximia is a woody shrub that can grow up to about 3 meters (10 feet) tall. Its young branches are covered with short, soft hairs.
Its leaves are packed closely together. They are arranged in a cool way: each pair of leaves is at a right angle to the pair above and below it. This makes four neat rows of leaves along the stems! The leaves are long and thin, like a line, and they get narrower at the end. If you cut one, it would look like a crescent moon. They are about 8 to 20 millimeters (0.3 to 0.8 inches) long and 1.2 to 2 millimeters (0.05 to 0.08 inches) wide.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers are a bright red color. They grow in spikes on the sides of the branches. These flower heads can be up to 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) wide. Each head has 7 to 13 groups of flowers, with three flowers in each group.
At the bottom of each flower group, there is a furry, heart-shaped bract. The petals are small, about 2.2 to 3 millimeters (0.09 to 0.12 inches) long. They fall off as the flower opens. Around the flower, there are five bundles of stamens, which are the parts that produce pollen. Each bundle has 11 to 14 stamens.
Melaleuca eximia usually flowers in October and November. After flowering, it produces woody capsules (which are like small seed pods). These capsules are about 4.5 to 5 millimeters (0.18 to 0.20 inches) long. They grow in tight, cylinder-shaped clusters around the stems.
How it Was Named
The first scientific description of this plant was made in 1990 by Kirsten Cowley. She called it Melaleuca coccinea subsp. eximia. Later, in 1999, Lyndley Craven changed its name to Meleleuca eximia, making it its own species.
The name eximia comes from a Latin word, eximius. This word means "exceptional" or "extraordinary." It was chosen because of how beautiful the plant looks when it is in flower.
Where it Grows
Melaleuca eximia grows in a small area near a town called Esperance in Western Australia. It likes to grow in gravelly sand or clay soils, often near large rock formations called granite outcrops. This area is part of the Esperance Plains and Mallee regions.
Conservation Status
The Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife lists this melaleuca as "Priority Two". This means that the plant is known to grow in only a few places. However, it is not currently in immediate danger of disappearing. It is still important to protect these areas to keep the plant safe.
Growing it in Gardens
The unique leaves and bright red flowers of Melaleuca eximia make it a very attractive plant for gardens. People have successfully grown it in South Australia. It has shown that it can grow well in drier areas, especially in soil that is a little bit acidic.
