Melaleuca lateralis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca lateralis |
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| Melaleuca lateralis at the Ongerup Wildflower Show | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melaleuca
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| Species: |
lateralis
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Melaleuca lateralis is a pretty plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. It grows naturally only in the southwest part of Western Australia. This plant is a lovely shrub that looks great in gardens. You can spot it by its very small leaves and the little bunches of pink flowers that grow along its older branches.
What it Looks Like
Melaleuca lateralis is a bushy shrub that can grow up to about 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall. Its leaves and branches are smooth, meaning they don't have hairs, except for the very newest parts. The leaves are placed one after another around the stem. They are usually 2 to 7 millimetres (0.08 to 0.28 inches) long and 0.5 to 1.3 millimetres (0.02 to 0.05 inches) wide. They are shaped like a narrow oval or a line, and they are usually somewhat rounded or semi-circular when you look at them from the side. Most of the time, their ends are blunt, not pointy.
This plant produces many deep pink flowers that grow in clusters along its stems. Each cluster has between 4 and 15 individual flowers and can be up to 12 millimetres (0.47 inches) across. The petals of the flowers are 1.2 to 2.3 millimetres (0.05 to 0.09 inches) long. They fall off quickly after the flower opens. Inside the flower, there are five groups of stamens (the parts that produce pollen), with each group having 4 to 12 stamens. The plant flowers in early spring. After the flowers, it grows woody fruits called capsules. These capsules are 2.6 to 3 millimetres (0.10 to 0.12 inches) long and grow in loose groups along the stem.
How it Got its Name
This plant was first described in 1852 by a Russian scientist named Nikolai Turczaninow. He published his description in a science bulletin from Saint-Petersburg. The second part of the plant's scientific name, lateralis, means "on the side." This refers to how the flower clusters grow on the sides of the branches, below the leaves.
Where it Grows
Melaleuca lateralis is found in Western Australia, specifically in areas between the Stirling Range and Lake King. It grows in places like the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, and Mallee regions. You can often find it growing in sandy gravel on floodplains, which are flat areas of land next to a river that sometimes get flooded.
Conservation Status
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has listed Melaleuca lateralis as "not threatened." This means that there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.
