Melaleuca quinquenervia

(Cavanilles) S. T. Blake

Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland 69: 76. 1958.

Common names: Punk tree broad-leaved paperbark niauoli
Basionym: Metrosideros quinquenervia Cavanilles Icon. 4: 19, plate 333. 1797
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 10.
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Trees, 1–18 m; bark papery. Leaves alternate; blade usually narrowly elliptic to elliptic, rarely somewhat falcate, 5.5–12 × 1–3.1 cm, veins 5–7, longitudinal, surfaces glabres­cent. Inflorescences 15–54-flowered, flowers in triads, pseudoterminal, sometimes also axillary distally, to 40 mm wide. Flowers: calyx lobes glabrous abaxially, margins scarious, 0.3–0.4 mm wide; petals deciduous, 2.5–3.5 mm; filaments connate in bundles of 5–10, white, cream, greenish white, green, creamy white, or creamy yellow, 10.5–20 mm, bundle claw 0.9–2.5 mm; style 11–18 mm; ovules ca. 50–65 per locule. Capsules 2.7–4 mm. Cotyledons obvolute. 2n = 22.


Phenology: Flowering year-round (commonly in fall).
Elevation: 0–30 m.

Distribution

Introduced; Fla., La., Asia (Malesia), Pacific Islands (New Caledonia), Australia, introduced also elsewhere in Pacific Islands (Hawaii), widely elsewhere.

Discussion

Melaleuca quinquenervia is a serious woody weed of wetland habitats in Florida and Louisiana. Mechanical control has not been successful and research in recent years has been focused upon biological control.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Melaleuca quinquenervia"
Lyn A. Craven† +
(Cavanilles) S. T. Blake +
Metrosideros quinquenervia +
Punk tree +, broad-leaved paperbark +  and niauoli +
Fla. +, La. +, Asia (Malesia) +, Pacific Islands (New Caledonia) +, Australia +, introduced also elsewhere in Pacific Islands (Hawaii) +  and widely elsewhere. +
0–30 m. +
Flowering year-round (commonly in fall). +
Proc. Roy. Soc. Queensland +
Callistemon +
Melaleuca quinquenervia +
Melaleuca +
species +