''Melaleuca diosmatifolia'', commonly known as rosy paperbark and pink honey-myrtle is a plant in the myrtle

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

, Myrtaceae and is native to

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and

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

in Australia. It was formerly known as ''Melaleuca erubescens'' but is not closely related to '' Melaleuca diosmifolia'' although the species name has the same meaning. It has pointed, non-prickly leaves and cylindrical spikes of pink or purple flowers.

Description

''Melaleuca diosmatifolia'' is a shrub with hard, rough grey bark growing to a height of about . Its leaves are arranged alternately on the stem, each leaf long, wide, almost circular in cross-section and ending with a point. They also have a few distinct oil glands The pinkish-purple to deep mauve flowers are arranged on a spike up to long and diameter, usually at the end of branches which continue to grow after the flowering period. Each spike contains between 15 and 50 separate flowers, each flower with five (rarely six) bundles of stamens, each bundle with 15 to 26 stamens. Flowering mainly occurs from November to December but also through to May and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules about long.

Taxonomy and naming

''Melaleuca diosmatifolia'' was first formally described in 1811 by

Georges Louis Marie Dumont de Courset Georges Louis Marie Dumont de Courset (16 September 1746 – 3 September 1824) was a French botanist and agronomist. Born near Boulogne, he studied in Paris and showed an aptitude for music and drawing. He joined the military when he was 17 and ...

in ''Le Botaniste Cultivateur''. The specific epithet (''diosmatifolia'') refers to an apparent similarity of the leaves of this species to those of '' Diosma''.

Distribution and habitat

''Melaleuca diosmatifolia'' occurs on the ranges and western slopes of New South Wales and Queensland from the

Darling Downs The Darling Downs is a farming region on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in southern Queensland, Australia. The Downs are to the west of South East Queensland and are one of the major regions of Queensland. The name was general ...

south to the Temora and

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districts and to coastal areas near Sydney. It grows in open forest and in areas subject to flooding.

Use in horticulture

This species is relatively common in cultivation, usually as ''Melaleuca erubescens'' and is often used as a screening plant. It is hardy, growing successfully in a wide range of soils, including those that are poorly drained. It is easily cultivated from both seed and cuttings and can be pruned to keep a bushy shape. It has attractive flowers which are reported not to fade as quickly as those of ''

Melaleuca decussata ''Melaleuca decussata'', commonly known as cross-leaf honey-myrtle or totem poles, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae native to South Australia and both native and naturalised in Victoria. It is an adaptable shrub, grown in many parts of ...

'' which is also widely cultivated.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15370319 diosmatifolia Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1811