Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

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Melaleuca squamea

Common name

Swamp honey-myrtle

Family

Myrtaceae

Where found

Wet heath, sometimes on rock-ledges receiving seepage. Mainly between Wollongong and Manly.

Notes

Shrub to 3 m tall. Bark corky. Young stems hairy. Leaves aromatic when rubbed, alternating up the stems, 0.5-1.2 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, the lower leaves straight, upper leaves often curved, with 3–5 longitudinal veins, tips pointed, surfacees hairless. Flower heads usually globular, to 20 mm long, 10–15 mm wide, pink to purple. Individual flowers with 5 petals each 2-3 mm long. Stamens 3-6 mm long. Flowers spring–summer.

Occasionally hybridises with Melaleuca squarrosa when the parent species grow together.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Melaleuca~squamea (accessed 24 January, 2021)