Melaleuca punicea

Melaleuca punicea
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. punicea
Binomial name
Melaleuca punicea
Synonyms[1]
  • Regelia punicea (Byrnes) Barlow
  • Petraeomyrtus punicea (Byrnes) Craven

Melaleuca punicea is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and is endemic to the Northern Territory in Australia. Some of the characteristics of this species make it difficult to classify at the genus level. After it was originally described in 1984 as Melaleuca punicea, it was transferred in 1986 to the genus Regelia (as Regelia punicea)[2] but it did not fit well in that genus either. In 1999 it was transferred again to a new genus Petraeomyrtus as P. punicea.[3] Subsequent molecular studies, especially of chloroplast DNA have suggested that it is best placed in Melaleuca along with others from genera including Beaufortia, Callistemon and Regelia.[4] Later publications include this species as Melaleuca punicea.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Melaleuca punicea". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  2. ^ Barlow, BA (1986). "Regelia punicea (N.Byrnes) Barlow, comb.nov. (Myrtaceae) from the Northern Territory: Phytogeographic implications". Brunonia. 9 (1): 89–97. doi:10.1071/BRU9860089.
  3. ^ Craven, L. A. (1999). "Generic position of Melaleuca punicea: Petraeomyrtus, gen. nov. (Myrtaceae)". Australian Systematic Botany. 12 (5): 675. doi:10.1071/SB98018.
  4. ^ Edwards, Robert D.; Craven, Lyn A.; Crisp, Michael D.; Cook, Lyn G. (June 2010). "Melaleuca revisited:cpDNA and morphological data confirm that Melaleuca L. (Myrtaceae) is not monophyletic". Taxon. 59 (3): 744–754. doi:10.1002/tax.593007. JSTOR 25677666.
  5. ^ Brophy, Joseph J.; Craven, Lyndley A.; Doran, John C. (2013). Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses. Canberra: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. p. 297. ISBN 9781922137517.