Melaleuca viminalis

Family

Myrtaceae

Botanical Name

Melaleuca viminalis (Sol. ex Gaertn.) Byrnes

Byrnes, N.B. (1984) Austrobaileya 2(1): 75. Type: ?.

Synonyms

Callistemon viminalis (Sol. ex Gaertner) G.Don ex Loudon, Hortus Britannicus: 197(1830), Type: ?. Metrosideros viminalis Sol. ex Gaertner, Fruct. et Semin. 1: 181(1788), Type: Endeavour River, D. Solander, K.

Common name

Weeping Bottlebrush; Creek Bottlebrush; Drooping Bottlebrush; Red Bottlebrush

Stem

Generally a gnarled, poorly formed tree or shrub. Dead bark layered.

Leaves

Oil dots numerous and conspicuous, almost touching one another. Leaf blades about 5.5-10 x 6-13 mm.

Flowers

Individual flowers sessile and arranged in fairly compact spikes about 7-8 cm long, with the staminal filaments projecting at right angles to the inflorescence so that the whole structure resembles a red bottle-brush. Petals about 4-6 mm long.

Fruit

Seeds small, about 1-1.5 mm long. Cotyledons folded once and rolled lengthways.

Seedlings

Cotyledons obovate or elliptic, about 3 mm long, oil dots very sparse only just visible with a lens. At the tenth leaf stage: seedling glabrous, leaf blade linear or narrowly elliptic, apex acute, base attenuate; oil dots numerous, easily visible with a lens.

Distribution and Ecology

Endemic to Australia, occurs in CYP, NEQ and southwards to eastern Victoria. Altitudinal range in CYP and NEQ from near sea level to 900 m. Grows as a rheophyte along creeks and rivers usually in open forest situations but sometimes on streams flowing through rain forest.

Natural History

This common 'bottle brush' is planted extensively in the tropics with several colour forms from red to pink with a white form now available.