Melaleuca phratra
Melaleuca phratra is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to Queensland in Australia. It is a large shrub similar to Melaleuca paludicola but has flower spikes that are a shade of pink.
Description
Melaleuca phratra is a large shrub or small growing to tall with hard, brown or grey to black fissured bark. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are long, wide, flat, narrow elliptic in shape with a mid-vein and 13 to 24 indistinct lateral veins. The leaves usually have some thickening at the mid-vein and prominent oil glands.The flowers are arranged in spikes on the ends of branches that continue to grow after flowering or on the sides of the branches and are in diameter with 10 to 30 individual flowers. The petals are long and fall off as the flower ages and there are 47–72 stamens in each flower. The filaments of the stamens are pink with a yellow anther. Flowering occurs from November to February and is followed by fruit that are woody capsules, long.
Taxonomy and naming
Melaleuca phratra was first formally described in 2009 by Lyndley Craven in Novon. The specific epithet is from the Greek word phratra meaning "clan" or "brotherhood" referring to the similarity of this species to M. paludicola, M. quercina and M. sabrina.Callistemon phratra is regarded as a synonym of Melaleuca phratra by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.