''Melaleuca montana'', commonly known as mountain bottlebrush, 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

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the Border Ranges area of

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 ...

and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

in Australia. (Some Australian state

herbaria A herbarium (plural: herbaria) is a collection of preserved plant specimens and associated data used for scientific study. The specimens may be whole plants or plant parts; these will usually be in dried form mounted on a sheet of paper (called ...

continue to use the name ''Callistemon montanus''). It is a shrub or small tree distinguished from most other red bottlebrushes by its hairy petals.

Description

''Melaleuca montana'' is a shrub or small tree growing to tall. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are long, wide, flat, narrow elliptic to narrow egg-shaped often with one side straighter than the other. There is a mid-vein and 11 to 21 lateral veins. The flowers are a shade of red to crimson and arranged in spikes on the sides of the branches. The spikes are in diameter with 15 to 30 individual flowers. The petals are long, densely hairy on the outer surface and fall off as the flower ages. There are 27 to 47 stamens in each flower. Flowering occurs in spring and summer but sometimes at other times of the year. Flowering is followed by fruit that are woody capsules, long.

Taxonomy and naming

''Melaleuca montana'' was first formally described in 2006 by

Lyndley Craven Lyndley Alan Craven (3 September 1945 – 11 July 2014) was a botanist who became the Principal Research Scientist of the Australian National Herbarium. Lyndley ("Lyn") Craven worked for the CSIRO plant taxonomy unit of the New Guinea Survey Gr ...

in '' Novon''. The specific epithet (''montana'') is a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word meaning "of mountains" in reference to the habitat of this species. ''Callistemon montanus'' is regarded as a synonym of ''Melaleuca montana'' by the

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,10 ...

Distribution and habitat

This melaleuca occurs in the Border Ranges area near the New South Wales–Queensland border. It grows in forest and heath in shallow soils on cliff tops and edges.

Use in horticulture

''Melaleuca montana'' has long been in cultivation (as '' Callistemon montanus''). Whilst the flowers may not be as attractive as those of '' Melaleuca citrina'', it is more likely to flower in shady situations.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5022781

montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 2006