Melaleuca brevifolia

Turcz. Mallee Honey-myrtle
Bull. Cl. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg 10: 342 (1852)
Taxonomic status Accepted
Occurrence status Present
Origin Native
Degree of establishment Native

Straggling shrub to 2.5 m high; bark rough and corky. Leaves often in pairs but not decussate, c. 3–7 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, blunt, glands prominent below; petiole 0.25–0.5 mm long. Flower clusters 6–11 mm wide across the axis. Flowers solitary or in groups of 2–4 developing from a scaly bud and scattered (sometimes more or less continuous for up to 6 cm) along previous year’s growth, each flower subtended by 1 roundish, papery bract and often 2 bracteoles; stamens 7–10 per bundle, whitish, claw c. 1 mm long, free parts of filaments 2–5 mm long. Capsules 4–6 mm wide, wrinkled, corky and warty, sepals shed. Flowers spring–summer.

LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, GGr, DunT. Also SA. Occasional, fringing (sometimes saline) swamps, lakes and streams in heathland and open shrubland, mostly in mallee regions.

Source:

Spencer, R.D. (1996). Melaleuca. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., ‍Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae‍, pp. 1027–1034. Inkata Press, Melbourne.

Updated by: Val Stajsic, 8 Feb. 2019
Melaleuca brevifolia (hero image) Spinning
Melaleuca brevifolia (distribution map) Spinning