Fibrebark (Melaleuca nervosa)
Description
Melaleuca nervosa, commonly known as fibrebark, is a shrub or tree in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to northern Australia. (Some Australian state herbaria use the name Callistemon nervosus.) It is a narrow-leaved, tropical paperbark with yellow-green and red-flowering forms. As with some other melaleucas, this species has many uses to Indigenous Australians. Melaleuca nervosa grows to 2–15 m (7–50 ft) tall, has erect branches and papery-fibrous bark which may be grey, cream, brown or white. There is variation in the leaf size and shape depending on the subspecies but they are generally 30–115 millimetres (1–5 in) long, 5–40 millimetres (0.2–2 in) wide, leathery, covered with fine or curly, silky hairs when young and have 3-7 longitudinal veins. The flowers are arranged in 6 to 20 groups of three in long spikes about 100 mm (4 in) long and 50 mm (2 in) diameter. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower and in this species there are 3-7 stamens per bundle. The flowers are white, creamy-green, cream, yellow-green or occasionally red. Flowers appear from April to September and are followed by fruit which are woody, cup-shaped capsules about 2–3 millimetres (0.08–0.1 in) long and wide.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Myrtales
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Family: Myrtaceae
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Genus: Melaleuca
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