Prickly-leaved paperbark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Prickly-leaved paperbark |
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| Melaleuca styphelioides foliage and flowers | |
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Melaleuca
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| Species: |
styphelioides
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The Melaleuca styphelioides, often called the prickly-leaved paperbark or prickly paperbark, is a unique plant found in eastern Australia. It's a tree known for its soft, spongy bark, leaves that feel a bit prickly, and beautiful spikes of creamy-white flowers.
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What the Prickly Paperbark Looks Like
This tree usually grows to be a small to medium size, reaching up to 20 meters (about 65 feet) tall. It has a full, round top and branches that hang down a little. Its bark is soft and spongy, often white or light brown, and it peels off in big strips, just like paper!
The leaves are small, about 7 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long and 2.5 to 6 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. They don't have a stalk and are slightly twisted with sharp, pointed tips. They grow in a zig-zag pattern along the branches and have many tiny lines, called veins, running through them.
In summer, you'll see lovely cream or white flowers that look like "bottlebrushes." These flower spikes are about 2 to 5 centimeters (0.8 to 2 inches) long and 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. Sometimes, new leaves start growing right from the end of the flower spikes! After the flowers fade, small, woody seed pods appear in groups along the branches. These pods are grey-brown, egg-shaped, and about 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) across.
Its Name and Family
This tree was first officially described in 1797 by a botanist named James Edward Smith. He wrote about it in a scientific book called Transactions of the Linnean Society of London. The plant material he studied was collected near Port Jackson in Australia.
The second part of its scientific name, styphelioides, means that its leaves look similar to those of a plant from a different group called Styphelia. This helps scientists understand how different plants are related.
Where the Prickly Paperbark Grows
You can find the prickly-leaved paperbark growing along riverbanks or in other wet places. It mostly lives in coastal areas, from Nowra in New South Wales and further north into Queensland.
How People Use This Tree
This amazing tree can grow well in many different places, from wet, swampy areas to hot, dry spots. It has deep roots, which means you can even grow grass under its shade! Because it's so tough and beautiful, it's often planted as a street tree. You can see great examples of it lining streets in Sydney, especially in suburbs like Campsie. It's also a popular street tree in many suburbs around Greater Melbourne.
Gallery
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Cultivated specimen in Melbourne
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Melaleuca styphelioides fruit
