Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Myrtales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Melaleuca quinquenervia
FAMILY
Myrtaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Melaleuca quinquenervia was introduced in s. FL in the 1880s and became an ecosystem-altering invasive species. Distinctive at all times of year in its thick, spongy, layered white bark. Read more in Weakley's Flora (2023).
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Melaleuca quinquenervia
FAMILY
Myrtaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 10 (2021)
Melaleuca quinquenervia
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Melaleuca quinquenervia
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) The genera of Myrtaceae in the southeastern US (Wilson, 1960)
Melaleuca leucodendron
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Melaleuca leucadendra
COMMON NAME:
Paperbark Tree, Melaleuca, Punktree, Cajeput Tree
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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W.D. Brush / USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / US Forest Service pnd_mele_002_lvp
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Melaleuca quinquenervia
FAMILY
Myrtaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Melaleuca quinquenervia
FAMILY
Myrtaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 10
Melaleuca quinquenervia
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Melaleuca quinquenervia
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED)
The genera of Myrtaceae in the southeastern US (Wilson, 1960)
Melaleuca leucodendron
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED)
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Melaleuca leucadendra
4148
Shrub; Tree
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: Wetlands, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Australia
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Forest Health Assessment & Applied Sciences Team: New Invaders of the Southeast
- SC Department of Natural Resources Aquatic Nuisance Species List, 2003
- SC List of Regulated Pest Plant Species, 2017
- USDA Federal Noxious Weeds, 091820
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Alternate
Leaves have short petioles.
Margins entire
FLOWER:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall
White
Numerous stamens
Unisexual
Flowers in showy 1-3" bottlebrush-like spikes at branch tips
FRUIT:
Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p058
- New Invaders of the Southeast (Rawlins et al., 2018) p075
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".