Melaleuca sieberi, flowering stem with reddish new growth, close view. Material sourced from Geregarow Road, south of Grafton. Melaleuca

Paper Barks, Bottle Brushes

A genus of terrestrial trees and shrubs. The simple, mostly with 3 or more longitudinal veins. leaves are alternate, opposite or clustered.

The flowers are in mainly solitary in the axils of bracts, on a long or short, spike-like extension of the stem, which often continues to grow after the flowers are finished, and the fruit are small, woody capsules, dehiscing with age, often retained on the plant for some years.

The distribution includes Australia, New Guinea and southeastern Asia with an estimated 230 species. 215 species are indigenous to Australia.

Other names (synonyms) by which this genus is known include Myrtoleucodendron, Cajuputi, Gymnagathis, Meladendron, Melaleucon and Melanoleuca. In most cases these names were sourced from the Kew Gardens, London genera database. M. tamarascina ssp. irbyana, flowers, detail. Material sourced from cultivation in Grafton from plants sourced at Coutts Crossing.

Genera with which this genus may be confused by most people could include Callistemon, Conothamnus, Calothamnus and Lamarchea . This list has been made fairly broad to allow as many options as possible.

The genus is in the Myrtaceae. There is further information about this genus available in the Flora of NSW (Harden). This genus may be found in the 2nd volume, on page 173.

The following species in this genus are presented in this volume. A link selected here will show the text for that species in the Species Window.


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