Melaleuca pyramidalis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melaleuca pyramidalis
M. pyramidalis on Walshs Pyramid
Scientific classification
Genus:	Melaleuca
Species:	pyramidalis
Synonyms
Callistemon pyramidalis (Craven) Udovicic & R.D.Spencer

Melaleuca pyramidalis is a special plant found only in small parts of Queensland, Australia. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. Some people might know it by another name, Callistemon pyramidalis. This plant is very similar to Melaleuca citrina, but you can tell them apart by looking closely at their leaves and flower parts called stamens.

About the Plant: Description

Melaleuca pyramidalis is a shrub that can grow up to about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) tall. It has dark grey bark that feels like paper. Its leaves are placed one after another along the stem. They are usually 29 to 84 millimeters (1.1 to 3.3 inches) long and 8 to 24 millimeters (0.3 to 0.9 inches) wide. The leaves are flat and shaped like an oval, with a short stem. You might see some veins, but the oil glands are hard to spot.

Flowers and Fruit

The flowers of Melaleuca pyramidalis are red or pink. They grow in spikes that can be up to 60 millimeters (2.4 inches) across. Each spike has between 20 and 50 individual flowers. The petals are small, about 2.8 to 6.3 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long, and they fall off as the flower gets older. Each flower has many stamens, usually 35 to 42 of them.

This plant flowers in late winter. After the flowers, it grows woody fruits called capsules. These capsules are about 3.8 to 5 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long and grow in loose groups along the stem.

How to Tell it Apart

You can tell Melaleuca pyramidalis from its close relative, M. citrina, by a few key things. M. pyramidalis has oil glands that are hard to see, while M. citrina has very clear ones. Also, the tips of the stamens on M. pyramidalis are yellow, but on M. citrina, they are dark red.

Plant Names: Taxonomy and Naming

The plant Melaleuca pyramidalis was officially described in 2009 by a scientist named Lyndley Craven. He found a sample of it on top of Walshs Pyramid mountain.

Later, in 2012, other scientists tried to call it Callistemon pyramidalis. But in 2013, Lyndley Craven decided that all plants previously known as Callistemon should actually be called Melaleuca. So, even though some people still use the name Callistemon pyramidalis, the official name is Melaleuca pyramidalis. The name pyramidalis comes from Walshs Pyramid, the mountain where the first sample was found.

Where it Lives: Distribution and Habitat

Melaleuca pyramidalis is only found on the tops of three mountains in Queensland. These are Walshs Pyramid, Mount Diamantina (which is on Hinchinbrook Island), and Mount Leach (near Ingham). It likes to grow in open forests on rocky hilltops.

Keeping it Safe: Conservation

Melaleuca pyramidalis is listed as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List. This means it's a plant that needs protection because it's only found in a few small places.

Images for kids

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  Early flowers

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  Foliage

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  Fruit