Melaleuca huegelii
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{italic title}}
{{speciesbox
|name = Chenille honey-myrtle
|image = Melaleuca huegelii 2.JPG
|image_caption = Melaleuca huegelii
|genus = Melaleuca
|species = huegelii
|authority = Endl.{{cite web |title= Melaleuca huegelii |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:597977-1 |publisher=Plants of the World Online |access-date=30 August 2021}}
|synonyms = Myrtoleucodendron huegelii (Endl.) Kuntze
}}
Melaleuca huegelii, commonly known as chenille honey-myrtle, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west coastal areas of Western Australia. It has small, almost scale-like leaves and flower spikes sometimes more than {{convert|100|mm|in|sigfig=1}} long on the ends many of its branches.
Description
Melaleuca huegelii is a large shrub, sometimes a small tree up to {{convert|5|m|ft|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} tall, with dark-coloured bark and branches that are usually covered with fine, soft hairs, at least when young. Its leaves are {{convert|1.3-10|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|1-2.5|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} wide, roughly egg-shaped and taper 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|location=Canberra|isbn=9781922137517|pages=198–199}}{{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=140–141|edition=2nd}}
The flowers are white, cream-coloured or a shade of pink and arranged in spikes on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering and sometimes also in the upper leaf axils. The spikes are up to {{convert|100|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long and sometimes longer, up to {{convert|25|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} in diameter and contain up to 140 groups of flowers in threes. The petals are {{convert|1.5-3|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long and fall off as the flowers age. The stamens are arranged in bundles of five around the flower, with 6 to 13 stamens in each bundle. Flowering occurs between August and January and is followed by fruit which are woody, cup-shaped capsules {{convert|2.3-2.8|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long and wide in clusters along the stem.
Taxonomy and naming
Melaleuca huegelii was first formally described in 1837 by Stephan Endlicher in Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel.{{cite book|last1=Endlicher|first1=Stephan|title=Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel|date=1837|publisher=Vindobonae|pages=48–49|url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?num=48&u=1&seq=5&view=image&size=100&id=chi.64405481|accessdate=11 May 2015}}{{cite web|title=Melaleuca huegelii|url=https://biodiversity.org.au/boa/instance/apni/512684|publisher=APNI|accessdate=11 May 2015}} The specific epithet (huegelii) refers to Carl von Huegel, collector of the type specimen, who found the species growing at Fremantle in 1833.
There are two subspecies:
- Melaleuca huegelii Endl. subsp. huegelii occurs from the Walkaway district to the Augusta district in the Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographic regions;{{FloraBase|name=Melaleuca huegelii subsp. huegelii|id = 13271}}{{cite web|title=Melaleuca huegelii subsp. huegelii|url=https://biodiversity.org.au/boa/name/apni/118440|publisher=APNI|accessdate=11 May 2015}}
- Melaleuca huegelii subsp. pristicensis Barlow occurs in the Shark Bay district in the Yalgoo biogeographical region.{{FloraBase|name=Melaleuca huegeliisubsp. pristicensis|id = 13270}}{{cite web|title=Melaleuca huegelii subsp. pristicensis|url=https://biodiversity.org.au/boa/instance/apni/552675|publisher=APNI|accessdate=11 May 2015}} The name pristicensis is from the Ancient Greek pristis meaning "shark"{{cite web|title=Sawtooth shark|url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/stsawfish/stsawfish.html|publisher=Florida Museum of natural History|accessdate=11 May 2015}} in reference to the distribution of the subspecies.
Distribution and habitat
Melaleuca huegelii occurs along the coast of Western Australia from the Shark Bay district to the Augusta district. It occurs in coastal areas on limestone cliffs, dunes and plains.{{FloraBase|name=Melaleuca huegelii|id = 5920}}{{cite book|last1=Paczkowska|first1=Grazyna|last2=Chapman|first2=Alex R.|title=The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue|date=2000|publisher=Wildflower Society of Western Australia|location=Perth|isbn=0646402439|page=394}}
Conservation status
This species is classified as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife although the subspecies pristicensis is classified as "Priority Three" meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.{{cite web|title=Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna|url=https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/images/documents/plants-animals/threatened-species/Listings/Conservation%20code%20definitions.pdf|publisher=Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife|accessdate=31 March 2020}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q6811041}}
Category:Myrtales of Australia
Category:Rosids of Western Australia