Wrinkled honey myrtle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca fulgens subsp. corrugata |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Melaleuca |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
M. f. subsp. corrugata
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| Trinomial name | |
| Melaleuca fulgens subsp. corrugata (J.M.Black ex Eardley) K.J.Cowley
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Melaleuca fulgens subsp. corrugata, also known as the wrinkled honey myrtle, is a cool plant from the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. This special plant is only found in a certain area near the borders of Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.
In 1990, scientists decided to split the Melaleuca fulgens species into three different types, or "subspecies." Even though the wrinkled honey myrtle grows in separate, disconnected areas (this is called a disjunct distribution), it's very similar to the other two types. The main differences are the color of its flowers and tiny details about its leaf shape and the length of its stamens. Just like its relatives, this plant is famous for its beautiful, showy flowers, which are usually pink to purple. Its leaves and fruits are also quite pretty!
What Does It Look Like?
The wrinkled honey myrtle is a strong, woody shrub. It can grow up to 3 meters (about 10 feet) tall and wide. Its small branches are smooth and do not have hairs.
Its leaves grow in a special way. They are arranged in pairs, with each pair at right angles to the one below it. This makes the leaves look like they are in four neat rows along the stems. The leaves are 10-25 mm (about 0.4-1 inch) long and 1-4 mm (about 0.04-0.16 inch) wide. They are narrow and shaped like an ellipse. The edges of the leaves curl slightly upward and inward. If you look closely at the underside of the leaves, you can see many tiny oil glands and a clear middle vein.
Flowers and Fruits
The flowers of the wrinkled honey myrtle can be white, pink, or purple. They grow in spikes on the sides of the branches. These flower spikes are about 30 mm (about 1.2 inches) across and 30 mm long. Each spike holds 6 to 20 individual flowers, also arranged in that special four-row pattern.
Inside each flower, there are five groups of stamens. Stamens are the parts of the flower that produce pollen. Each group has between 22 and 80 stamens. The long, thin parts of the stamens are 11-13 mm (about 0.4-0.5 inches) long. You can see these beautiful flowers from April to September. After the flowers, woody fruits grow. These fruits are like squashed urns, 6-9 mm (about 0.24-0.35 inches) wide. They also grow in alternating pairs along the stems.
How It Was Named
The first official description of Melaleuca fulgens subsp. corrugata was written in 1957. It was described by a scientist named John McConnell Black in a book called Flora of South Australia. At that time, it was called Melaleuca corrugata.
Later, in 1990, a group of scientists reviewed the species. They included Kirsten Cowley, Frances Quinn, Bryan Barlow, and Lyndley Craven. They published their findings in a science journal called Australian Systematic Botany. In their review, they decided that Melaleuca corrugata was actually a subspecies of Melaleuca fulgens. So, its name became Melaleuca fulgens subsp. corrugata. The second part of its scientific name, corrugata, means "wrinkled." This refers to the wrinkled sides of its fruit capsules.
Where It Lives
You can find Melaleuca fulgens subsp. corrugata in and around the Petermann, Musgrave, and Rawlinson Ranges. These areas are near the border where Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory meet. It usually grows in a type of soil called orthent, which is often found along watercourses like streams or rivers.
