''Melaleuca oldfieldii'' is a plant in the myrtle family,
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All speci ...
, and is native to the
south-west
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
of
Western Australia. It is distinguished by its bright yellow flower heads but its distribution is restricted to one national park.
Description
''Melaleuca oldfieldii'' is a spreading shrub which grows to about high but sometimes much taller. Its leaves are arranged alternately on the stems, have a short stalk, are oval to elliptic in shape tapering to a point, usually long, wide and with 5 longitudinal veins.
The flowers are bright yellow and arranged in relatively large heads on the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering. The heads are up to in diameter and contain 4 to 9 groups of flowers in threes. The petals are long and fall off as the flower opens. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 8 to 12 stamens. Flowering occurs mainly in November and is followed by fruit which are woody
capsules long in tight, roughly spherical groups about in diameter.
Taxonomy and naming
''Melaleuca oldfieldii'' was first described in 1867 by
George Bentham in "
Flora Australiensis".
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
(''oldfieldii'') is in recognition of the collector
Augustus Oldfield
Augustus Frederick Oldfield (1821–1887) was an English botanist and zoologist who made large collections of plant specimens in Australia.
Oldfield was born on 12 January 1821 in London, England. He made botanical collections in Tasmania, the coa ...
who collected this species
near the
Murchison River.
Distribution and habitat
''Melaleuca oldfieldii'' occurs in the
Kalbarri National Park in the
Geraldton Sandplains biogeographic region
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
,
growing in sand or sandy clay, usually along streams.
Conservation
This species is classified as "
Priority Two" by the
Government of Western Australia
The Government of Western Australia, formally referred to as His Majesty's Government of Western Australia, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of Western Australia. It is also commonly referred to as the WA Government o ...
Department of Parks and Wildlife
The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW) was the department of the Government of Western Australia responsible for managing lands described in the ''Conservation and Land Management Act 1984'' and implementing the state's conservation and e ...
[ meaning that is poorly known and from one or a few locations.]
Uses
Horticulture
This species has proven difficult to maintain in cultivation except in special conditions
Essential oils
The leaves of ''Melaleuca oldfieldii'' contain significant quantities of 1,8-cineole
Eucalyptol is a monoterpenoid. A colorless liquid, it is a bicyclic ether. Eucalyptol has a fresh mint-like smell and a spicy, cooling taste. It is insoluble in water, but miscible with organic solvents. Eucalyptol makes up ~70% - 90% of eucaly ...
.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15372287
oldfieldii
Myrtales of Australia
Plants described in 1867
Endemic flora of Western Australia
Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller
Taxa named by George Bentham