Melaleuca penicula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Melaleuca penicula |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Melaleuca
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| Species: |
penicula
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| Synonyms | |
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Melaleuca coccinea subsp. penicula K.J.Cowley |
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Melaleuca penicula is a special plant that belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. You can only find it in the southern part of Western Australia. It's quite rare and mostly grows in the Fitzgerald River National Park. This plant has bright red flowers that look a bit like another plant called Melaleuca eximia. However, Melaleuca penicula has different leaves and flower parts.
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What Melaleuca penicula Looks Like
Melaleuca penicula is a straight, woody shrub. It can grow up to about 2.5 metres (8 feet) tall. Its leaves are arranged in a cool way. They grow in opposite pairs, with each pair turned at a right angle to the one below it. This makes four neat rows of leaves along the stem.
The leaves are fairly small, about 5.5 to 10.3 millimetres (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. They are also narrow, about 2 to 3.3 millimetres (0.08 to 0.13 inches) wide. They are shaped like a narrow egg and come to a sharp point. When the leaves are young, they feel soft and silky because they are covered in fine hairs. The stem of the leaf is attached to its underside. The top part of the leaf faces the main stem of the plant. You can also see tiny oil glands on the leaves.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers of Melaleuca penicula are a beautiful red or scarlet colour. They grow in spikes that can be up to 60 millimetres (2.4 inches) wide. Each spike has about 40 groups of flowers, with three flowers in each group. The petals are small, about 3 millimetres (0.12 inches) long. They fall off as the flower opens up.
The outer part of the flower, called the floral cup, is usually hairy. Around the flower, there are five groups of stamens. Stamens are the parts of the flower that make pollen. Each group has 10 to 14 stamens. This plant flowers for a long time, from October to February. After the flowers, the plant produces fruit. These fruits are woody capsules, which are like small seed pods. They are about 5 millimetres (0.2 inches) long and grow in tight, cylinder-shaped clusters.
How it Got its Name
Melaleuca penicula was first officially described in 1990. At that time, it was thought to be a type of Melaleuca coccinea. A scientist named Kirsten Cowley gave it this first description. She found a sample of the plant in the North Fitzgerald River National Park.
Later, in 1999, two other scientists, Lyndley Craven and Brendan Lepschi, decided it was a unique species. So, they changed its status to its own species. The second part of its scientific name, penicula, comes from a Latin word. It means "brush." This name refers to the brush-like groups of stamens in its flowers.
Where Melaleuca penicula Lives
You can find Melaleuca penicula growing in the Fitzgerald River National Park. This park is in an area of Western Australia called the Esperance Plains. The plant likes to grow in sandy soils. It is often found near large granite rocks.
Protecting Melaleuca penicula
Melaleuca penicula is a rare plant. The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife lists it as "Priority Four". This means it is either rare or almost threatened. Efforts are made to protect this special plant so it can continue to grow in the wild.
