"The most beautiful of the genus. It grows in swampy ground ...is plentiful in the English gardens, and was generally taken for an Hypericum, till it lately produced, in several collections near London, its elegant flowers."
Description
Melaleuca hypericifolia is a large woody shrub or small tree growing to 6 m (20 ft) in height, with greyish papery bark. Its leaves are arranged in alternate pairs (decussate), 10–40 mm (0.4–2 in) long, 4–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide, narrow elliptic in shape with a central groove on the upper surface.[2][3][4]
The flowers are red to orange, arranged in a spike, usually on the older wood. The spike is up to 60 mm (2 in) in both diameter and length and contains up to 40 individual flowers. The petals are 4.5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and fall off as the flower ages. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower with 16 to 25 stamens per bundle. The flower spikes appear in spring and summer and are followed by fruit which are woody, oval-shaped capsules 5–6.5 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long with the sepals remaining as teeth around the rim. As the plant ages, the capsules become compressed together.[2][3][4]
Hillock bush is a hardy, adaptable and attractive shrub that has been known in gardens for many years.[3] It is moderately frost hardy, although the flowers tend to be hidden inside the shrub.[2] It is a dense screen plant, unless pruned to display the flowers.[8] It has caused problems in some areas where it has spread from gardens into bushland in other states and care should be taken with the species in southern Victoria.[9] Two cultivars have been developed:
^ abcBrophy, Joseph J.; Craven, Lyndley A.; Doran, John C. (2013). Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses. Canberra: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. p. 201. ISBN9781922137517.
^ abcHolliday, Ivan (2004). Melaleucas : a field and garden guide (2nd ed.). Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 144–145. ISBN1876334983.
^ abcdWilson, Peter G. "Melaleuca hypericifolia". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
^Robinson, Les. Field guide to the native plants of Sydney. Kangaroo Press. ISBN9780731812110.
^Wrigley, John W.; Fagg, Murray (1983). Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping (2 ed.). Sydney: Collins. ISBN0002165759.
