Common name: Moonah, Black Tea Tree
Melaleuca lanceolata Otto APNI*
Description: Shrub or small tree to 10 m high with hard, rough bark, young branchlets pubescent.
Leaves alternate, linear to narrow-elliptic, 5–15 mm long, 1–3 mm wide, apex acute, glabrous; petiole c. 1 mm long.
Inflorescences many-flowered spikes 2–4 cm long; rachis pubescent. Flowers in threes within each bract, white. Petals ovate, 1.5–2.5 mm long. Stamens 8–14 per bundle; claw 1–1.5 mm long. Fruit globose to urceolate, 4–5 mm diam., orifice c. 1 mm diam.; sepals ± persistent.
Flowering: sporadically, but chiefly summer.
Distribution and occurrence: Grows in mallee or open woodland communities on clayey soils; widespread in drier areas, sometimes locally common.
NSW subdivisions: CC, CWS, SWP, SFWP
Other Australian states: Qld Vic. W.A. S.A.
Text by Peter. G. Wilson
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 2 (1991)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.