Melaleuca viminea, commonly known as mohan,[2] is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is variable in size and form, from a densely branched small shrub to a small tree. Its leaves are linear to narrowly oval, the flowers white to cream-coloured, in heads of 5 to 50, and the fruit is a woody capsule.
| Mohan | |
|---|---|
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| Melaleuca viminea in Maranoa Gardens | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Melaleuca |
| Species: | M. viminea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melaleuca viminea | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Myrtoleucodendron vimineum (Lindl.) Kuntze | |
Description
editMelaleuca viminea grows to 0.5–15 m (2–50 ft) in height and has fibrous or papery bark. Its leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, each leaf 3–20 mm (0.1–0.8 in) long and 0.6–2 millimetres (0.02–0.08 in) wide, linear to narrow oval in shape, tapering to a point.
Its flowers are in heads, at or near the ends of the branches in groups, 25 mm (1 in) in diameter composed of 5 to 50 individual white or cream flowers. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle having 3 to 16 stamens. Flowers appear from July to November and are described as smelling sickly. The fruit are woody capsules, 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) long.[3][4]
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Taxonomy and naming
editThis species was first formally described in 1839 by John Lindley in A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony.[5][6] The specific epithet (viminea) is a Latin word meaning "pliant" or "willowy".[7]
The names of three subspecies of Melaleuca vimminalis are currently recognised by the Australian Plant Census:
- Melaleuca viminea subsp. appressa Barlow[8] is distinguished by its small leaves, pressed against the branchlets - it occurs in three disjunct populations - Ongerup, Mt Burdett and Yilgarn districts.[9][10]
- Melaleuca viminea subsp. demissa Quinn ex. Craven[11] mainly occurs in the Walpole-Manypeaks district.[9][12]
- Melaleuca viminea Lindl. subsp. viminea[13] occurs in the Kalbarri district south to the Busselton and Albany districts, and eastwards to the Muntadgin and Fitzgerald River districts; it is naturalised locally in southern Victoria.[9][14]
Distribution and habitat
editThis melaleuca is widespread in the south-west of Western Australia. It grows in sandy or clayey soils near watercourses, winter-wet depressions, rocky coastal areas and flats.[15][2]
Conservation
editMelaleuca viminea, subsp. demissa and viminea are listed as "not threatened"[2][12][14] but subsp. appressa is listed as "Priority Two" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions[10] meaning it may be threatened but is poorly known, only occurring in a few locations.[16]
References
edit- ^ a b "Melaleuca viminea". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
- ^ a b c "Melaleuca viminea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ 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. 380. ISBN 9781922137517.
- ^ Holliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 306–307. ISBN 1876334983.
- ^ "Melaleuca viminea". APNI. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ Lindley, John (1839). A sketch of the vegetation of the Swan River colony. London: James Ridgway, Piccadilly. p. viii. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 836.
- ^ "Melaleuca viminea subsp. appressa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ a b c Quinn, F.C.; Cowley, K.J.; Barlow, B.A.; Thiele, K.R. (1998). "New names and combinations for some Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) species and subspecies from the south-west of Western Australia considered rare or threatened" (PDF). Nuytsia. 8 (3): 349–350. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Melaleuca viminea subsp. appressa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Melaleuca viminea subsp. demissa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Melaleuca viminea subsp. demissa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Melaleuca viminea subsp. viminea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Melaleuca viminea subsp. viminea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ Paczkowska, Grazyna; Chapman, Alex R. (2000). The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 399. ISBN 0646402439.
- ^ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 28 July 2024.