Melaleuca hollidayi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca hollidayi |
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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: |
M. hollidayi
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| Binomial name | |
| Melaleuca hollidayi Craven
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Melaleuca hollidayi is a special plant from the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. It grows only in the southern part of Western Australia. This plant is a small shrub. It has fine hairs on its leaves, almost like a spider's web. Its flowers are a beautiful bright pink.
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What Does Melaleuca Hollidayi Look Like?
Melaleuca hollidayi is a type of shrub. It usually grows up to about 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) tall. It can also spread out to be more than 1 meter (3.3 feet) wide. This plant has bark that feels thin and papery.
Leaves of the Plant
The leaves of Melaleuca hollidayi grow one after another along the stem. They are long and thin, like a line. If you cut a leaf, it would look oval-shaped. Each leaf is about 5 to 12 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long. They are also very narrow, only about 0.5 to 0.8 millimeters (0.02 to 0.03 inches) wide. The end of each leaf is rounded. They are covered in tiny, fine hairs, similar to spider silk.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of this plant are a deep pink to purple color. They grow in small groups at the ends of the branches. New growth continues from these branches even after the flowers bloom. Sometimes, flowers also appear where the leaves meet the stem.
Each flower cluster can be up to 22 millimeters (0.9 inches) across. These clusters are made of 2 to 9 smaller groups of three flowers. The petals are small, about 1.5 to 2.6 millimeters (0.06 to 0.1 inches) long. They fall off as the flower opens. There are five groups of stamens around the flower. Each group has 5 to 10 stamens.
The plant flowers between August and November. After flowering, it produces woody fruits. These fruits are called capsules. They are usually 3 to 4 millimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) long. The fruits grow in small, loose groups around the stem.
How Melaleuca Hollidayi Got Its Name
The plant Melaleuca hollidayi was officially named in 1999. It was described by a scientist named Lyndley Craven. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Australian Systematic Botany. The first plant sample was found near Scaddan.
Honoring Ivan Holliday
The second part of the plant's name, hollidayi, honors Ivan Holliday. He was an Australian author. Ivan Holliday wrote many books about native plants. He worked hard to encourage people to grow plants that naturally belong in Australia. This included many Melaleuca species.
Where Melaleuca Hollidayi Grows
Melaleuca hollidayi is found in the Kalbarri and Mullewa areas. These places are in the Esperance Plains and Mallee regions of Western Australia. It likes to grow in sandy soils. You can often find it in open areas with low shrubs, called heathland. It often grows alongside Banksia plants.
Is Melaleuca Hollidayi Endangered?
The Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of plants. They have listed Melaleuca hollidayi as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
