Melaleuca cordata

Appearance

''Melaleuca cordata'' is an erect, bushy shrub which grows to a height of between 0.3 and 3 m with dark grey, fibrous bark. Its leaves are egg-shaped to heart-shaped, between 7.5 and 30 mm long and wide with a very short, or no stalk. They are glabrous when mature, spirally arranged around the stem with 5 to 9 veins and have a pointed end.

The flowers are deep pink to purplish-red, forming roughly spherical heads of flowers, thickly clustered on or near the ends of the stems. The flowers appear for extended periods from late spring to mid-summer. The fruit which follow flowering are woody capsules about 4 mm in diameter, arranged in roughly spherical clusters.

Naming

''Melaleuca cordata'' was first formally described in 1852 by the Russian botanist, Nikolai Turczaninow. The Latin specific epithet means "cordate" or "heart-shaped", referring to the shape of the leaves.

Distribution

This melaleuca is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia from the Geraldton-Mullewa districts south to the Lake Grace-Lake King area and east to Coolgardie. It occurs in the Coolgardie, Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee and Warren biogeographic regions. It grows in a range of habitats including sandy, often gravelly soils on sandplains.

Status

''Melaleuca cordata'' is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Habitat

This melaleuca is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia from the Geraldton-Mullewa districts south to the Lake Grace-Lake King area and east to Coolgardie. It occurs in the Coolgardie, Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee and Warren biogeographic regions. It grows in a range of habitats including sandy, often gravelly soils on sandplains.

Cultural

Its unusual foliage and long flowering period may make ''M. cordata'' an attractive and useful garden plant. It grows in a wide range of soils in temperate areas with low winter rainfall.