Melaleuca polandii

Melaleuca polandii, commonly known as gold-tipped bottlebrush, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic a small area in far northern Queensland in Australia. (Some Australian state herbaria continue to use the name Callistemon polandii.)[2] It is a dense shrub with bronze-coloured, hairy new growth and spikes of red flowers tipped with yellow.

Gold-tipped bottlebrush
M. polandii in Huntington Gardens, (Los Angeles).
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. polandii
Binomial name
Melaleuca polandii
Synonyms[1]

Callistemon polandii F.M.Bailey

Description

Melaleuca polandii is a shrub growing to 4 m (10 ft) high. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 63–129 mm (2–5 in) long, 16–35 mm (0.6–1 in) wide, flat, narrow egg-shaped and tapering to a point. The leaves have a distinct mid-vein and 19 to 25 lateral veins. The young leaves and branches are covered with fine, silky hairs.[1][3]

The flowers are bright red and are arranged in spikes on the ends of branches that continue to grow after flowering and sometimes in the upper leaf axils. The spikes are 50–60 mm (2.0–2.4 in) in diameter. The petals are 3.6–5.3 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long, fall off as the flower ages and there are 35-50 stamens in each flower. Flowering occurs from late winter to summer, sometimes in other months and is followed by fruit that are woody capsules, 4.6–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long.[1][3]

M. polandii in Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca polandii was first named in 2006 by Lyndley Craven in Novon when Callistemon polandii was transferred to the present genus.[4][5] Callistemon polandii was first formally described in 1902 by Frederick Manson Bailey from a specimen collected in "Bloomfield River [by] Rev. W. Poland". The specific epithet (polandii) honours Wilhelm Poland, a missionary at Wujal Wujal (formerly the Bloomfield River Mission).[1][6]

Callistemon polandii is regarded as a synonym of Melaleuca polandii by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.[7]

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs in the Cape Flattery and Cooktown districts of Queensland where it grows in dense wallum heath in sandy or peaty soils.[1]

Use in horticulture

Melaleuca polandii is a hardy shrub, suitable for warm coastal areas. It is useful as a screen or hedge but is known to damage wastewater pipes.[3][8]

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References
  1. Brophy, Joseph J.; Craven, Lyndley A.; Doran, John C. (2013). Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses. Canberra: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. p. 287. ISBN 9781922137517.
  2. Udovicic, Frank; Spencer, Roger (2012). "New combinations in Callistemon (Myrtaceae)" (PDF). Muelleria. 30 (1): 23–25. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  3. "Callistemon polandii". Sydney Water. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  4. "Melaleuca polandii". APNI. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  5. Craven, Lyn A. (2006). "New Combinations in Melaleuca for Australian Species of Callistemon (Myrtaceae)". Novon. 16 (4): 473. doi:10.3417/1055-3177(2006)16[468:NCIMFA]2.0.CO;2. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  6. "German Missionaries in Australia". Griffith University. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
  7. "Callistemon polandii". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  8. Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2nd ed.). Sydney: Collins. p. 193. ISBN 0002165759.
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