Melaleuca fulgens subsp. fulgens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca fulgens subsp. fulgens |
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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. fulgens
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| Trinomial name | |
| Melaleuca fulgens subsp. fulgens |
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Melaleuca fulgens subsp. fulgens, often called the scarlet honey myrtle, is a lovely plant from the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It grows naturally only in the south-west part of Western Australia. In 1990, scientists divided the Melaleuca fulgens species into three different types, and this one is the most common. Like the other types, it's famous for its bright, showy flowers, which are usually red. Its leaves and fruits are also quite attractive.
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About the Scarlet Honey Myrtle
The scarlet honey myrtle is a woody shrub that can grow up to 3 metres (10 ft) tall and 2 metres (7 ft) wide. Its small branches are smooth, without any hairs. The leaves are arranged in a special way: they grow in pairs, with each pair at a right angle to the pair above and below it. This makes the leaves line up in four neat rows along the stems.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves are usually 10–40 millimetres (0.4–2 in) long and 0.7–5.5 millimetres (0.03–0.2 in) wide. They are long and thin, sometimes slightly curved, and have tiny oil glands that you can see.
The flowers are often bright red, but you might also see them in other shades of red, pink, or even white. They grow in spikes on the sides of the branches. Each flower spike can be up to 40 millimetres (2 in) across and just as long. Inside each spike, there are about 6 to 20 individual flowers, also arranged in that special four-row pattern.
Each flower has many long, thin parts called stamens, which are like tiny threads. These stamens are grouped into five bundles around the flower, with each bundle holding between 22 and 80 stamens. The longest stamens can be up to 27 millimetres (1 in) long. You can usually see these beautiful flowers from June to April, but they are most common in September and October.
Fruits
After the flowers bloom, woody seed pods appear. These pods are round, like a squashed urn, and are about 7–9 millimetres (0.3–0.4 in) wide. They are also arranged in alternating pairs along the stems, just like the leaves.
Naming the Scarlet Honey Myrtle
The plant Melaleuca fulgens was first officially described by a botanist named Robert Brown in 1812. Later, in 1990, a group of botanists decided to divide the species into three different subspecies.
The name fulgens comes from a Latin word that means "shining" or "bright-coloured." This name was chosen because of the plant's very bright red flowers.
Where It Grows
You can find Melaleuca fulgens subsp. fulgens in many areas of Western Australia. It grows in places like Paynes Find, the Great Victoria Desert, and near Israelite Bay. It prefers to grow in sandy soil, loam (a mix of sand, silt, and clay), or gravel, often found on granite rocks.
Growing Scarlet Honey Myrtle in Gardens
This type of scarlet honey myrtle is a popular plant in Australian gardens. If you want to grow it, it needs lots of sunshine and soil that drains water very well. This helps the plant grow strong and healthy.
