Melaleuca hypericifolia
Encyclopedia
Melaleuca hypericifolia, commonly known as Hillock Bush, is a shrub species in the genus Melaleuca
. It is endemic to New South Wales
in Australia
. The species grows to 6 metres in height and has leaves that are 10 to 40 mm long and 4 to 10 mm wide. The red flower spikes appear in spring and summer.
The species was first formally described by English botanist James Edward Smith
in 1797 in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London from material collected in "swampy ground" in New South Wales
. The species name references the similarity of the leaves to those of species of Hypericum
.
Melaleuca hypericifolia is naturalised in South Australia
and Victoria
.
Cultivar
s incude:
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
. It is endemic to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The species grows to 6 metres in height and has leaves that are 10 to 40 mm long and 4 to 10 mm wide. The red flower spikes appear in spring and summer.
The species was first formally described by English botanist James Edward Smith
James Edward Smith
Sir James Edward Smith was an English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society.Smith was born in Norwich in 1759, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. He displayed a precocious interest in the natural world...
in 1797 in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London from material collected in "swampy ground" in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The species name references the similarity of the leaves to those of species of Hypericum
Hypericum
Hypericum is a genus of about 400 species of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae ....
.
Melaleuca hypericifolia is naturalised in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
Cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s incude:
- M. hypericifolia 'Snapper Point'
- M. hypericifolia 'Ulladulla Beacon'