Kingaroy bottlebrush

Description

Melaleuca formosa (Synonym; Callistemon formosus), commonly known as Kingaroy bottlebrush or cliff bottlebrush is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in Queensland and peripherally in New South Wales, Australia (Some Australian state herbaria continue to use the name Callistemon formosus). It is a shrub with weeping branches and spikes of lemon-coloured flowers in spring. Melaleuca formosa is a spreading shrub growing to 2-6 m (7-20 ft) tall. Its leaves are arranged alternately and are 35-86 mm (1-3 in) long, 3-9 mm (0.1-0.4 in) wide, flat, narrow egg-shaped or narrow elliptical with a mid-vein and have distinct oil glands and 11 to 24 branching veins. The flowers are whitish through cream to lime-green and arranged in spikes on the ends of branches that continue to grow after flowering as well as on the sides of the branches. The spikes are up to 45 mm (2 in) in diameter with 20 to 40 individual flowers. The petals are 3.5-4.5 mm (0.14-0.18 in) long and fall off as the flower ages. There are 57 to 63 stamens in each flower, tipped with yellow. Flowering occurs throughout the year but mainly in spring and is followed by fruit that are woody capsules, 3.8-5.4 mm (0.1-0.2 in) long.