Melaleuca lateriflora

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Gorada
Melaleuca lateriflora (leaves, flowers, fruits).JPG
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. lateriflora
Binomial name
Melaleuca lateriflora
Benth.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Melaleuca lateriflora var. elliptica Benth.
  • Myrtoleucodendron lateriflorum (Benth.) Kuntze

Melaleuca lateriflora, commonly known as gorada, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually an erect shrub with oval leaves and small clusters of white flowers mainly along the older branches.

Description[]

Melaleuca lateriflora is a branching shrub with rough, grey-brown bark, usually growing to about 4 m (10 ft) tall or sometimes higher with glabrous foliage except on the youngest leaves and branchlets. Its leaves are arranged alternately, are 4–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long, 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and variable in shape from linear to oval with a short pointed tip.[2][3]

The flowers are white or pale cream, arranged in heads up to 90 mm (4 in) long and 12 mm (0.5 in) in diameter with up to 15 flowers in each head. The heads occur on the previous year's wood but also at or near the ends of branches. The petals are 1.2–2.3 mm (0.05–0.09 in) long and fall off soon after the flower opens. The stamens are in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 6 to 13 stamens. The flowers mainly appear between September and January and are followed by the fruit which are woody capsules 3–5.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) in diameter with the sepals remaining as teeth on the capsules.[2][4]

Habit near Wagin
Bark

Taxonomy and naming[]

Melaleuca lateriflora was first formally described in 1867 by George Bentham in Flora Australiensis.[5][6] The specific epithet (lateriflora) is "in reference to the inflorescences being inserted on the branchlets and branches below the leaves".[2] Until 2010 there were two subspecies - Melaleuca lateriflora subsp. lateriflora and Melaleuca lateriflora subsp. acutifolia but in 2010 the latter subspecies was raised to species status as Melaleuca acutifolia.[7][8]

Distribution and habitat[]

Melaleuca lateriflora occurs from the Yuna and Mullewa districts east to the Coolgardie district and south to the Stirling Range[2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.[9] It grows in sandy and clayey soils on flats, floodplains and swampy areas.[10]

Conservation status[]

Melaleuca lateriflora is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Melaleuca lateriflora". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d 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. 216. ISBN 9781922137517.
  3. ^ "Melaleuca lateriflora subsp lateriflora" (PDF). Government of Western Australia, Department of Water. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. ^ Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 160–161. ISBN 1876334983.
  5. ^ "Melaleuca lateriflora". tropicos. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  6. ^ Mueller, Ferdinand (1866). Flora Australiensis, volume 3. London. p. 136. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  7. ^ Craven, Lyndley; Lepschi, Brendan; Cowley, Kirsten. "Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) of Western Australia: five new species, three new combinations, one new name and a new state record". Nuytsia. 20: 27–36.
  8. ^ "Melaleuca lateriflora". APNI. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Melaleuca lateriflora". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  10. ^ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 394. ISBN 0646402439.
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