Gorada

Description

Melaleuca lateriflora, commonly known as gorada, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is usually an erect shrub with oval leaves and small clusters of white flowers mainly along the older branches. Melaleuca lateriflora is a branching shrub with rough, grey-brown bark, usually growing to about 4 m (10 ft) tall or sometimes higher with glabrous foliage except on the youngest leaves and branchlets. Its leaves are arranged alternately, are 4–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long, 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide and variable in shape from linear to oval with a short pointed tip. The flowers are white or pale cream, arranged in heads up to 90 mm (4 in) long and 12 mm (0.5 in) in diameter with up to 15 flowers in each head. The heads occur on the previous year's wood but also at or near the ends of branches. The petals are 1.2–2.3 mm (0.05–0.09 in) long and fall off soon after the flower opens. The stamens are in five bundles around the flower, each bundle containing 6 to 13 stamens. The flowers mainly appear between September and January and are followed by the fruit which are woody capsules 3–5.5 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.2–0.2 in) in diameter with the sepals remaining as teeth on the capsules.