Melaleuca
(from melas, black, and leukos, white; the trunk is black, and the branches are white). ORD. Myrtaceae. A genus comprising about 100 species of mostly greenhouse evergreen shrubs or trees, all natives of Australia, but one, M. leucadendron, also widely distributed throughout tropical Asia. Flowers red, white, or yellow, closely sessile and solitary within each bract or floral leaf, in heads or spikes, or rarely solitary and scattered; calyx lobes five, imbricated or open; petals five, orbicular, spreading. Leaves alternate, or in a few species opposite, entire, usually coriaceous, flat, concave, or semi-terete. The species thrive in a compost of peat and sandy loam. Propagated, in May, by cuttings, about 3in. in length, getting firm at the base, placed in a compost similar to that just named. The shoots must be freely topped while young, to induce a bushy growth. M. armillaris (bracelet). fl. white; spikes cylindrical, quite glabrous. June. l. alternate, linear-subulate, mucronate, recurved at the apex. h. 6ft. to 8ft. 1788. Shrub. (A. B. R. 175, under name of M. ericaefolia.) M. coronata (crowned). A synonym of M. thymifolia.
M. decussata (decussate). fl. lilac, rather small, either in oblong or globular lateral heads and spikes and barren, or in oblong or cylindrical interrupted spikes and fertile. August. l. mostly opposite, oblong-lanceolate to almost linear, or very rarely broad, obtuse or acute. h. 20ft. 1803. A glabrous shrub. (B. M. 2268; L. B. C. 1208.) M. diosmifolia (Diosma-leaved). fl. greenish-yellow; spikes oblong, glabrous. June. l. alternate, oval or lanceolate, petiolate, flat, crowded. h. 3ft. to 10ft. 1794. Shrub. (A. B. R. 476.) M. ericaefolia (Erica-leaved), of Andrews. A synonym of M. armillaris. M. Ericifolia (Erica-leaved). fl. pale yellow; spikes oval, glabrous. July to September. l. scattered, narrow-linear, spreading or somewhat recurved. 1788. Shrub or tree. (S. E. B. 34.) M. Fraseri (Fraser's). A synonym of M. striata.
M. fulgens (glittering). fl. scarlet, as long as, or longer than, those of other species; spikes oval, quite glabrous. July to September. l. opposite, lanceolate-linear, acute. h. 6ft. to 20ft. 1803. Shrub. (B. R. 103; L. B. C. 378.) M. genistifolia (Genista-leaved). fl. red, in loose oblong or cylindrical spikes; petals very deciduous. June. l. scattered, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, rigid, acute, and often pungent-pointed. h. 4ft. (in its native habitats, 30ft. to 40ft.). 1793. A glabrous or pubescent shrub or tree. (S. E. B. 55.) M. hypericifolia (Hypericum-leaved). fl. of a splendid scarlet; spikes cylindrical, quite glabrous. June to August. l. opposite, decussate, ellipticoblong, with a recurved margin. h. 10ft. to 20ft. 1792. Shrub or small tree. (A. B. R. 200; L. B. C. 199.) M. incana (hoary). fl. yellowish-white, rather small, in dense, terminal, ovoid or oblong spikes. July. l. scattered or irregularly opposite, or in whorls of three, very spreading, often crowded. h. 3ft. 1817. A hoary-tomentose or pubescent shrub. (B. R. 410.) M. leucadendron (white-tree). Cajuput-tree. fl. white, in spikes, rather distant, glabrous; flowering branches pendulous. l. alternate, long-lanceolate, acuminated, falcate. h. 15ft. to 20ft. 1796. Stove tree. From the leaves of M. l. minor is obtained Cajuput Oil, a limpid, very volatile oil, of a pale bluishgreen colour; its properties are stimulant, antispasmodic, and diaphoretic when administered internally, and externally applied it is rubefacient. The annually shed bark of the type is used by the Australian aborigines for tinder, for making shields and canoes, and for the covering of huts.
M. pulchella (neat). fl. reddish, usually solitary, glabrous. June to September. l. scattered or nearly opposite, oval or oblong, obtuse. h. 2ft. to 3ft. 1803. Shrub. (L. B. C. 200.) M. squamea (scaly). fl. reddish-purple, white, or yellowish, rather small, in globular terminal heads; calyx villous. June. l. scattered, numerous, usually spreading, ovate-lanceolate to almost linear. h. 4ft. 1805. Shrub.(B. R. 477; L. B. C. 412.) M. squarrosa (squarrose). fl. yellowish-white, sessile, in oblong cylindrical spikes of from 1in. to 2in. bracts sometimes almost like the stem leaves. June to August. l. mostly opposite or nearly so, from broadly ovate-cordate to ovate-lanceolate, rigid, acute, almost pungent. h. 6ft. to 10ft. 1794. A handsome erect shrub. (B. M. 1935; L. B. C. 1130.) M. striata (striped). fl. pink, in dense, oblong or cylindrical, terminal spikes. June. l. alternate, lanceolate or linear, acute, and often pungent-pointed, flat. h. 4ft. 1803. Shrub, with young shoots silky, at length glabrous. SYN. M. Fraseri (under which name it is figured in B. M. 3210). M. styphelioides (Styphelia-like). fl. white, in pubescent spikes, surrounding the lower part of the branches. May to July. l. alternate, ovate, acuminated, ending in a pungent mucrone, sessile, glabrous. h. 4ft. to 10ft. 1793. Shrub. M. thymifolia (Thyme-leaved). fl. purple; spikes few-flowered. June to September. l. opposite, lanceolate. h. 2ft. 1792. Shrub. (B. M. 1868; L. B. C. 439.) SYN. M. coronata (A. B. R. 278).
M. Wilsonii (Wilson's). fl. red, solitary or two or three together in the axils of the stem leaves, often numerous along the principal branches. l. opposite, almost imbricate on the smaller branches, linear or linear-lanceolate, erect or scarcely spreading. 1874. Shrub. (B. M. 6131.)