Claim: Melaleuca depauperata is dense, bushy, spreading shrub with fibrous bark, wide, flat but rather fleshy and oval shaped leaves and mauve, pink or violet flowers from the Myrtaceae family, which include species known for their essential oils.
Evidence: Melaleuca depauperata is dense, bushy, spreading shrub growing to about 2 m (7 ft) high and wide with fibrous bark. Its leaves are arranged alternately around the stem and are 1.8–5 mm (0.07–0.2 in) long and 1.0–3.0 mm (0.04–0.1 in) wide, flat but rather fleshy and oval shaped, usually with a blunt end but sometimes with a sharp point. The flowers are mauve, pink or violet in spikes of between 4 and 17 individual flowers which fade to white as they age. Myrtaceae Family: All species are woody, contain essential oils, and have flower parts in multiples of four or five.