Melaleuca decora

{{speciesbox

|name = White feather honeymyrtle

|image = Melaleuca decora leaves and flowers.jpg

|image_caption = Melaleuca decora leaves and flowers

|genus = Melaleuca

|species = decora

|authority = (Salisb.) Britten{{cite web |title=Melaleuca decora |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:597909-1 |publisher=Plants of the World Online |access-date=28 August 2021}}

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms =

Melaleuca ferrea A.Cunn. ex A.Gray
Melaleuca genistifolia Sm.
Melaleuca polygonoides Hoffmanns.
Melaleuca tubulata Dum.Cours.
Metrosideros decora Salisb.
Myrtoleucodendron genistifolium (Sm.) Kuntze

}}

Melaleuca decora, commonly known as the white feather honeymyrtle,{{cite web |title=Melaleuca decora - White feather honey myrtle |url=http://www.waverley.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/2998/Melaleuca_decora.pdf |publisher=Waverley Council |accessdate=26 October 2018}} is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is native to eastern Australia. It is a large shrub to small tree with papery bark, lance-shaped leaves and sweet-smelling, creamy-coloured flowers in summer. It grows in near-coastal forest and swamps in New South Wales and Queensland.

Description

Melaleuca decora has brown or whitish papery bark and grows to the height of a small tree, usually to {{convert|10|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} but exceptional specimens may exceed {{convert|20|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} in height.{{cite book|last1=Robinson|first1=Les|title=Field guide to the native plants of Sydney|date=2003|publisher=Kangaroo Press|location=East Roseville, NSW|isbn=9780731812110|page=56|edition=Rev. 3rd}} The leaves are arranged alternately, {{convert|7.8-16.5|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|1-2|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} wide, flat, narrow elliptic in shape and tapering to a point.{{cite book|last1=Brophy|first1=Joseph J.|last2=Craven|first2=Lyndley A.|last3=Doran|first3=John C.|title=Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses|date=2013|publisher=Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research|page=140|location=Canberra|isbn=9781922137517}}{{cite book|last1=Holliday|first1=Ivan|title=Melaleucas : a field and garden guide|date=2004|publisher=Reed New Holland Publishers|location=Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.|isbn=1876334983|pages=82–83|edition=2nd}}{{cite web|title=Melaleuca decora|url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Melaleuca~decora|publisher=Plantnet:Royal Botanic Garden Sydney|accessdate=2 May 2015}}

The flowers are cream-coloured or white, arranged in spikes on the ends of branches that continue to grow after flowering, sometimes on the sides of the branches. The spikes are up to {{convert|17|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} in diameter, {{convert|20-50|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long and have between 3 and 30 groups of flowers, usually in threes. The petals are roughly egg-shaped {{convert|2-2.5|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long and fall off as the flower ages. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flowers with 20 to 40 stamens in each bundle.

The main flowering season is from November to January and is followed by fruit that are woody capsules {{convert|2-3|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long, well spaced along the stems.

{{multiple image

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| image1 = Melaleuca_decora.jpg

| alt1 = M. decora tree

| caption1 = Tree

| image2 = Melaleucadecora.jpg

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| caption2 = Same tree blooming in summer

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Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 1796 by Richard Anthony Salisbury, who named it Metrosideros decora.{{cite book|last1=Salisbury|first1=Richard Anthony|title=Prodromus Stirpium in Horto ad Chapel Allerton Vigentium|date=1796|location=London|page=350|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/9522#page/357/mode/1up|accessdate=3 May 2015}}{{cite web|title=Metrosideros decora|url=https://biodiversity.org.au/boa/instance/apni/542076|publisher=APNI|accessdate=3 May 2015}} The reason he chose the specific epithet (decora) was not explained, but it is from the Latin decorus meaning "becoming", "fitting" or "beautiful". In 1916, James Britten moved it to the genus Melaleuca as Melaleuca decora.{{cite book|last1=Britten|first1=James|title=Journal of Botany, British and Foreign|date=1916|publisher=Adlard & son and West Newman|location=London|page=62|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/36212#page/70/mode/1up|accessdate=3 May 2015}}{{cite web|title=Melaleuca decora|url=https://biodiversity.org.au/boa/instance/apni/510479|publisher=APNI|accessdate=3 May 2015}}

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca decora occurs in Queensland south from the Burnett River district and in New South Wales north from the Shoalhaven River growing in sand and heavy soils in open forest and swamps in coastal districts.

Use in horticulture

Melaleuca decora is a hardy plant that can be grown in a range of soil types, but needs plenty of water and will tolerate poorly drained sites. It is a useful screening plant and flowers profusely.{{cite book|last1=Wrigley|first1=John W.|last2=Fagg|first2=Murray|title=Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping|date=1983|publisher=Collins|location=Sydney|isbn=0002165759|page=262|edition=2nd}}