# Melaleuca viminea > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Melaleuca_viminea > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Melaleuca_viminea.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca_viminea > Source revision: 1356844463 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) ***Melaleuca viminea***, commonly known as **mohan**,[2] is a plant in the myrtle family [Myrtaceae](/source/Myrtaceae) and is [endemic](/source/Endemism) to the [south-west](/source/Southwest_Australia) of [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia). It is variable in size and form, from a densely branched small shrub to a small tree. Its leaves are linear to narrowly oval, the flowers white to cream-coloured, in heads of 5 to 50, and the fruit is a woody capsule. ## Description *Melaleuca viminea* grows to 0.5-15 m ft in height and has fibrous or papery bark. Its leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, each leaf 3–20 mm long and 0.6–2 mm in wide, linear to narrow oval in shape, tapering to a point. Its flowers are in heads, at or near the ends of the branches in groups, 25 mm (1 in) in diameter composed of 5 to 50 individual white or cream flowers. The [stamens](/source/Stamen) are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle having 3 to 16 stamens. Flowers appear from July to November and are described as smelling sickly. The fruit are woody capsules, 2-4 mm in long.[3][4] ## Taxonomy and naming This species was first formally described in 1839 by [John Lindley](/source/John_Lindley) in *[A Sketch of the Vegetation of the Swan River Colony](/source/A_Sketch_of_the_Vegetation_of_the_Swan_River_Colony)*.[5][6] The [specific epithet](/source/Botanical_name) (*viminea*) is a [Latin](/source/Latin) word meaning "pliant" or "willowy".[7] The names of three subspecies of *Melaleuca vimminalis* are currently recognised by the [Australian Plant Census](/source/Australian_Plant_Census): - *Melaleuca viminea* subsp. *appressa* Barlow[8] is distinguished by its small leaves, pressed against the branchlets - it occurs in three [disjunct](/source/Disjunct_distribution) populations - [Ongerup](/source/Ongerup,_Western_Australia), [Mt Burdett](/source/Mt_Burdett) and [Yilgarn](/source/Shire_of_Yilgarn) districts.[9][10] - *Melaleuca viminea* subsp. *demissa* Quinn ex. Craven[11] mainly occurs in the [Walpole](/source/Walpole,_Western_Australia)-[Manypeaks](/source/Manypeaks,_Western_Australia) district.[9][12] - *Melaleuca viminea* Lindl. subsp. *viminea*[13] occurs in the [Kalbarri](/source/Kalbarri,_Western_Australia) district south to the [Busselton](/source/Busselton) and [Albany](/source/Albany,_Western_Australia) districts, and eastwards to the [Muntadgin](/source/Muntadgin,_Western_Australia) and [Fitzgerald River](/source/Fitzgerald_River_National_Park) districts; it is naturalised locally in southern Victoria.[9][14] ## Distribution and habitat This melaleuca is widespread in the south-west of Western Australia. It grows in sandy or clayey soils near watercourses, winter-wet depressions, rocky coastal areas and flats.[15][2] ## Conservation *Melaleuca viminea*, subsp. *demissa* and *viminea* are listed as not threatened[2][12][14] but subsp. *appressa* is listed as [priority two](/source/Declared_Rare_and_Priority_Flora_List) by the [Government of Western Australia](/source/Government_of_Western_Australia) [Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions](/source/Department_of_Biodiversity,_Conservation_and_Attractions)[10] meaning it may be threatened but is poorly known, only occurring in a few locations.[16] ## References 1. ["*Melaleuca viminea*"](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:598140-1). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 14 September 2021. 1. 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. 380. ISBN 9781922137517. 1. Holliday, Ivan (2004). *Melaleucas : a field and garden guide*. 2nd ed. Frenchs Forest, N.S.W.: Reed New Holland Publishers. pp. 306–307. ISBN 1876334983. 1. ["*Melaleuca viminea*"](https://biodiversity.org.au/boa/instance/apni/545831). APNI. Retrieved 13 March 2015. 1. Lindley, John (1839). [*A sketch of the vegetation of the Swan River colony*](https://archive.org/stream/sketchvegetatio00goog#page/n16/mode/2up). London: James Ridgway, Piccadilly. p. viii. Retrieved 13 March 2015. 1. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). *The Composition of Scientific Words*. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 836. 1. ["*Melaleuca viminea* subsp. *appressa*"](https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/118454). Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 July 2024. 1. Quinn, F.C.; Cowley, K.J.; Barlow, B.A.; Thiele, K.R. (1998). ["New names and combinations for some Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) species and subspecies from the south-west of Western Australia considered rare or threatened"](https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/science/nuytsia/184.pdf). *Nuytsia*. **8** (3): 349–350. Retrieved 13 March 2015. 1. ["*Melaleuca viminea* subsp. *demissa*"](https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/153652). Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 July 2024. 1. ["*Melaleuca viminea* subsp. *viminea*"](https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/118455). Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 July 2024. 1. Paczkowska, Grazyna & Chapman, Alex R. (2000). *The Western Australian flora : a descriptive catalogue*. Perth: Wildflower Society of Western Australia. p. 399. ISBN 0646402439. 1. ["Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna"](https://www.epa.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/Referral_Documentation/DWERDT480152%20%20App%206%20-%202020%20Western%20Australian%20and%20Commonwealth%20of%20Australia%20Conservation%20Codes%282%29.pdf). Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 28 July 2024. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Melaleuca viminea](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca_viminea) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melaleuca_viminea?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.