Common name: Prickly-leaved Tea Tree
Melaleuca styphelioides Sm. APNI* 
Description: Shrub or tree up to 20 m high with papery bark.
Leaves alternate, ovate to broad-ovate, mostly 7–15 mm long, 2.5–6 mm wide, with 15–30 longitudinal veins, apex pungent, glabrous; sessile.
Inflorescences few- to many-flowered dense spikes up to 2 cm long; rachis tomentose. Flowers usually in threes within each leaf-like bract; white. Petals ± circular, 1–2 mm long, falling early. Stamens 12–26 per bundle; claw 3–4 mm long.
Fruit ovoid, 2–3 mm diam., orifice c. 1.5 mm diam.; sepals ± persistent in fruit.
Flowering: summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in moist situations, often along stream banks; mainly on the coast north from Nowra district.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, ?CWS
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by Peter. G. Wilson
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 2 (1991)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
|
