Melaleuca sylvana

Melaleuca sylvana is a plant in the myrtle family and is endemic to a small area near Ravenshoe in Queensland, Australia. Described in 2004, it is similar to Melaleuca monantha with its tiny leaves and heads of white flowers, but differs by being a larger, single-stemmed shrub or tree with a less dense crown.

Description

Melaleuca sylvana is a shrub or small tree growing to a height of with an open crown. Its leaves are arranged in alternating pairs, forming four rows along the stems. The leaves are long and wide, egg-shaped with the narrower end at the base, and crescent- or half-moon-shaped in cross section.
The flowers are white and arranged in heads or short spikes between the leaves on new growth. The heads are up to in diameter and contain up to 10 individual flowers. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, with 9 to 12 stamens per bundle. Flowers appear in December and are followed by fruit, which are woody capsules, long and wide, forming nearly spherical clusters about in diameter.

Taxonomy and naming

Melaleuca sylvana was first formally described in 2004 by Craven and Andrew Ford in Muelleria. The species was described from a specimen collected on a powerline access road near Herberton. The specific epithet sylvana is derived from the Latin word sylva, meaning "wood" or "forest," referring to the typical habitat where this species is found.

Distribution and habitat

Melaleuca sylvana occurs in the Ravenshoe and Herberton districts, where it grows in heath, forest, and woodland environments, often on soils derived from rhyolite.

Ecology

Response to fire

After a fire, Melaleuca sylvana resprouts from the stem base and along the stems through the activation of epicormic buds.