familyMyrtaceae
genusMelaleuca
speciesMelaleuca linariifolia

Melaleuca linariifolia

Smith

Trans. Linn. Soc. London 3: 278. 1797.

Lyn A. Craven†
Common names: Tea tree snow-in-summer
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.

Trees or shrubs, 2–10 m; bark papery. Leaves opposite (decus­sate); blade narrowly elliptic to linear-elliptic, 1.7–4.5 × 0.1–0.4 cm, veins 3, longitudinal, sur­faces soon glabrescent. Inflores­cences 4–20-flowered, flowers in monads, pseudoterminal, some­times also axillary distally, to 40 mm wide. Flowers: calyx lobes glabrous abaxially, margins scarious, 0.1–0.2 mm wide; petals deciduous, 2.5–3.3 mm; filaments connate in bundles of 32–73, white or cream, 8.8–24 mm, bundle claw (5.5–) 8–16 mm; style 3.5–5.2 mm; ovules 85–120 per locule. Capsules 2.5–4 mm. Cotyledons planoconvex.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–early summer.
Habitat: Disturbed areas.
Elevation: 0–20 m.

Distribution

Introduced; Fla., Australia

Discussion

Melaleuca linariifolia is one of the sources of the essential oil called tea tree oil. Its massed flowers make it a striking garden plant in summer.

Melaleuca linariifolia has been erroneously called cajeput in North America (R. P. Wunderlin and B. F. Hansen 2011); cajeput or cajuput is M. cajuputi.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"lengthofovary" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Melaleuca linariifolia"
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Anther dehiscence
dehiscing +
Anther fixation
dorsifixed +  and basifixed +
Author
Lyn A. Craven† +
Authority
Smith +
Bark architecture or pubescence
scaly +
Bark architecture or pubescence or relief
smooth +
Bark texture
papery +
Blade architecture or shape
pinnate +
Blade arrangement or shape
narrowly elliptic +  and linear-elliptic +
Blade dehiscence or orientation
longitudinal +
Blade length
1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br /> (4.5 cm45 mm <br />0.045 m <br />) +
Blade texture
submembranous +, papery +  and leathery +
Blade width
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Bract presence
absent +
Bracteole presence
absent +
Bundle claw atypical some measurement
0.55 cm5.5 mm <br />0.0055 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
Bundle claw some measurement
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.6 cm16 mm <br />0.016 m <br />) +
Bundle fusion
distinct +
Bundle quantity
5 +
Calyx lobe arrangement
imbricate +
Calyx lobe fusion
distinct +
Calyx lobe pubescence
glabrous +
Calyx lobe quantity
5 +
Calyx lobe variability
equaling +
Capsule architecture or shape
nutlike +
Capsule some measurement
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
Common name
Tea tree +  and snow-in-summer +
Cotyledon architecture
foliaceous +
Cotyledon shape
planoconvex +
Distribution
Fla. +  and Australia +
Elevation
0–20 m. +
Embryo coating
oily +
Embryo texture
starchy +
Endosperm presence
absent +
Endosperm quantity
scant +
Face-to-face arrangement or vernation
obvolute +
Face-to-face shape
planoconvex +
Face architecture
4-20-flowered +
Face pubescence
glabrescent +
Filament coloration
cream +  and white +
Filament fusion
connate +
Filament some measurement
0.88 cm8.8 mm <br />0.0088 m <br /> (2.4 cm24 mm <br />0.024 m <br />) +
Flower architecture
sessile +  and 5-merous +
Flower architecture or arrangement or growth form
solitary +
Flower atypical quantity
0 (4) +
Flower position
axillary +  and pseudoterminal +
Flower quantity
4 +
Flower reproduction
unisexual +  and bisexual +
Flower width
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
Fruits capsule coloration
gray +, brown +  and green +
Fruits capsule shape
subglobose +  and short-cylindrical +
Growth architecture or function or pubescence
glandular +
Growth life cycle
young +
Growth odor
aromatic +
Habitat
Disturbed areas. +
Hair architecture
simple +
Hypanthium arrangement
cluster +
Hypanthium fusion
adnate +
Hypanthium length
prolonged +
Hypanthium shape
subglobose +  and subcylindrical +
Hypanthium texture
subwoody +  and woody +
Inflorescence architecture
4-80-flowered +
Inflorescence position
axillary +  and pseudoterminal +
Introduced
true +
Leaf architecture
petiolate +  and simple +
Leaf arrangement
opposite +
Leaf duration
persistent +
Margin architecture or shape
entire +
Margin shape
sinuate +
Margin texture
scarious +
Margin width
0.1mm;0.2mm +
Number of lower taxa
0 +
Ovary architecture
carpellate +
Ovary architecture or structure in adjective form
3-locular +
Ovary placentation
axile +
Ovary position
basal +, subapical +  and inferior +
Ovule architecture
bitegmic +
Ovule architecture or arrangement
multiseriate +
Ovule arrangement
biseriate +
Ovule atypical quantity
300 (500) +
Ovule quantity
85;120 +
Petal arrangement
imbricate +
Petal coloration
white +
Petal duration
deciduous +
Petal fusion
coherent +, fused +  and distinct +
Petal some measurement
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.33 cm3.3 mm <br />0.0033 m <br />) +
Phenology
Flowering late spring–early summer. +
Pistil quantity
1 +
Placenta architecture
peltate +
Placenta position
axile-median +  and axile-basal +
Publication title
Trans. Linn. Soc. London +
Publication year
1797 +
Reference
None +
Seed-coat texture
bony +, hard +, leathery +  and membranous +
Seed architecture
not winged +
Seed quantity
1 +  and 100 +
Seed shape
usually obovoid-oblong +  and obovoid +
Shrub architecture
unarmed +
Shrub growth form
clonal +
Shrub growth form or habitat
terrestrial +
Shrub pubescence
glabrescent +
Shrub reproduction
synoecious +
Shrub some measurement
200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br /> (1,000 cm10,000 mm <br />10 m <br />) +
Spike arrangement
cluster +
Stamen length or size
longer +
Stamen quantity
25 +  and 365 +
Stigma quantity
1 +
Stipule derivation
true +
Style position relational
surrounding +
Style quantity
1 +
Style some measurement
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.52 cm5.2 mm <br />0.0052 m <br /> (?) +
Synonyms
Callistemon +
Taxon family
Myrtaceae +
Taxon name
Melaleuca linariifolia +
Taxon parent
Melaleuca +
Taxon rank
species +
Testa width
thin +
Tree pubescence
glabrescent +
Tree some measurement
200 cm2,000 mm <br />2 m <br /> (1,000 cm10,000 mm <br />10 m <br />) +
Unit architecture
open +
Vein dehiscence or orientation
longitudinal +
Vein quantity
3 (?) +
Volume
Volume 10 +
X chromosome quantity
11 +