Melaleuca glaberrima facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca glaberrima |
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| M. glaberrima leaves, flowers and fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melaleuca
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| Species: |
glaberrima
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Melaleuca glaberrima is a cool plant from the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It grows only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This plant is a thick, spreading bush. It has leaves that look like needles but aren't sharp. It also has lots of pretty pink or purple flowers.
What Does It Look Like?
Melaleuca glaberrima is a bush that can grow up to about 2.5 metres (8 feet) tall. Its leaves are smooth and hairless, except when they are very new. The leaves grow one after another on the stem. They are round or a bit flat, about 4 to 14 millimetres long and 0.5 to 1.0 millimetre wide.
The flowers grow in round or slightly long clusters. These clusters can be up to 20 millimetres (about 0.8 inches) long and wide. You can find these flower clusters on older parts of the plant. Each cluster has 10 to 40 pinky-purple flowers. These flowers later fade to white. The petals are small, about 2 to 3 millimetres long. They fall off quickly after the flower opens.
The flower has five groups of stamens, which are the parts that make pollen. Each group has 8 to 20 stamens. The plant usually flowers from November to December, but sometimes from July. After the flowers, the plant makes woody, cup-shaped fruits. These fruits are called capsules. They are about 2.8 to 4 millimetres long and 3 millimetres wide. You can find them scattered along the stem.
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How It Got Its Name
The plant Melaleuca glaberrima was first officially described in 1862. This was done by a scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He wrote about it in his book Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. He studied a plant sample found by George Maxwell on "Middle Mount Barren".
The second part of its name, glaberrima, comes from the Latin word glaber. This word means "smooth" or "hairless". It probably refers to how smooth the plant's leaves are.
Where It Grows
Melaleuca glaberrima grows in different areas of Western Australia. You can find it between the Stirling Range, Cape Arid, and Coolgardie regions. These areas include the Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, and Mallee biogeographic regions. It can grow in many types of soil. It is often found in areas with heath plants and woodlands.
Is It Safe?
The Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife says that Melaleuca glaberrima is "not threatened". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
