Melaleuca quinquenervia (tree)

Ecology Distribution Management Info Impact Info References and Links Contacts

Taxonomic name: Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake Synonyms: Common names: cajeput (English), Mao-Holzrose (German), melaleuca (Puerto Rico), niaouli (New Caledonia), paper bark tree (English), punk tree (English) Organism type: tree Melaleuca quinquenervia is a tall tree native to Eastern Australia, New Guinea and New Caledonia. It can reach 20-25 metres in height and its bark is whitish or pale brown, spongy, peeling and in many layers. Large numbers of seeds are stored in fruiting capsules and are released when fire or other disturbance occurs. Seeds are dispersed by wind and water and seedlings may grow into almost impenetrable monocultures. In the Florida Everglades and surrounding areas, where it was widely planted for landscaping and for "swamp drying", the trees grow into immense forests, virtually eliminating all other vegetation. In Hawaii it is naturalised in disturbed mesic forest and invades open swampy areas and other wet habitats between 100-1,000 m. Description Trees to 20-25m tall, bark whitish or pale brown, spongy, exfoliating. Leaves alternate, coriaceous, lanceolate to oblanceolate, 5-9cm long, 0.8-1.5cm wide, 3-nerved or 5-nerved, glabrous, glandular punctate, apex acute, base cuneate, petioles ca 3-8mm long, twisted. Flowers in cylindrical spikes ca 3-10cm long, the axis silky pubescent; sepals broadly deltate-ovate, ca 1.2-1.5mm long; petals cream, ca 2.5-3mm long; stamens ca 10-15mm long; filaments connate at base. Fruit woody, short-cylindrical, ca 3-4mm long, 4-5mm in diameter." (Wagner et al, 1990) Occurs in: agricultural areas, natural forests, planted forests, range/grasslands, riparian zones, ruderal/disturbed, scrub/shrublands, urban areas, wetlands Management information Preventative measures: A Risk Assessment of Melaleuca quinquenervia for Hawai‘i and other Pacific islands was prepared by Dr. Curtis Daehler (UH Botany) with funding from the Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and US Forest Service. The alien plant screening system is derived from Pheloung et al. (1999) with minor modifications for use in Pacific islands (Daehler et al. 2004). The result is a score of 15 and a recommendation of: "Likely to cause significant ecological or economic harm in Hawai‘i and on other Pacific Islands as determined by a high WRA score, which is based on published sources describing species biology and behaviour in Hawai‘i and/or other parts of the world." Physical: Small seedlings can be hand-pulled. Larger trees require herbicide use to prevent resprouting. Reproduction The seeds are dispersed by wind and water. Large numbers of seeds are stored on the tree in the fruiting capsules and are released when fire or other disturbance occurs. This species has been nominated as among 100 of the "World's Worst" invaders Reviewed by: Major update under progress Principal sources: Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER). Compiled by: IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) To contribute information, please contact Shyama Pagad. Last Modified: Friday, 30 December 2005