Netted bottlebrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Netted bottlebrush |
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| Melaleuca linearifolia leaves and flowers | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Melaleuca |
| Species: |
M. linearifolia
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| Binomial name | |
| Melaleuca linearifolia (Link) Craven
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| Synonyms | |
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The Netted Bottlebrush (scientific name: Melaleuca linearifolia) is a cool plant from the Myrtaceae family, which also includes gum trees! It's found only in New South Wales, Australia. This plant is usually a shrub with thin, pointy leaves and bright red flowers that look like bottle brushes. You can see its beautiful flowers in spring or summer.
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What the Netted Bottlebrush Looks Like
The Netted Bottlebrush is a shrub or a small tree. It can grow up to 4 m (10 ft) tall. It has grey bark that is hard and flakes off.
Its leaves grow one after another along the stem. They are usually 29–152 mm (1–6 in) long and 4–13 mm (0.2–0.5 in) wide. The leaves are flat but have thick edges. They are shaped like a line or a spear, and they have a pointy tip. You can see a main vein in the middle and many smaller veins branching out.
The flowers are red or dark crimson. They grow in spikes at the ends of branches, or sometimes on the sides. After the flowers bloom, the branches keep growing! Each flower spike is about 35–55 mm (1–2 in) wide and 9–10 cm (3.5–3.9 in) long. Each spike can have 30 to 90 individual flowers. The small petals are about 3.2–6.6 mm (0.1–0.3 in) long and fall off as the flower gets older. Each flower has many stamens, which are the parts that hold pollen.
This plant flowers from spring to summer. After the flowers, it grows woody fruits called capsules. These capsules are about 4.8–6 mm (0.19–0.24 in) long.
How it Got its Name
The Netted Bottlebrush was first officially described in 2006 by a scientist named Lyndley Craven. The name linearifolia comes from two Latin words: linearis, meaning "linear" (like a line), and folium, meaning "a leaf". This name describes the shape of the plant's leaves.
Where the Netted Bottlebrush Lives
You can find the Netted Bottlebrush along the coast of New South Wales in Australia. It grows from Nelson Bay down to the Georges River. It likes to grow in dry sclerophyll forest areas, especially near sandstone rocks.
Conservation Status
The New South Wales Government has listed the Netted Bottlebrush as "vulnerable." This means that it is at risk of becoming endangered if we don't protect it.
Gallery
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Melaleuca linearifolia in the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid
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M. linearifolia growing near Newcastle
