page_title: Melaleuca spectabilis
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Melaleuca spectabilis / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Melaleuca spectabilis growing at the type location north of Geraldton.
context_page_description: Melaleuca spectabilis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It was formerly known as a subspecies of Melaleuca longistaminea. It is a low, prickly shrub with yellow or lime-green flowers in spring and early summer.
context_section_description: Melaleuca spectabilis is a spreading or prostrate shrub growing to about 2 m (7 ft) tall with branches and leaves that are glabrous when mature. Its leaves are arranged alternately, 4.5–13.5 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and 3–11.5 mm (0.1–0.5 in) wide, heart-shaped with a sharp point on the end and with at least the lower part of the leaf pressed against the stem.
  The flowers are yellow to lime-green and arranged in heads on the sides of the branches. Each head contains 5 to 15 individual flowers and is up to 45 mm (1.8 in) in diameter. The petals are 4.5–6.5 mm (0.18–0.26 in) long (compared to 3–3.7 mm (0.12–0.15 in) in M. longistaminea) and fall off as the flowers mature. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flowers and there are 9 to 24 stamens per bundle. The flowering period is from August to late November and is followed by fruit which are woody capsules 3.5–6.5 mm (0.14–0.26 in) long with teeth around the edges and in clusters along the branches.
caption: M. spectabilis growing near Geraldton
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