Styphelia melaleucoides



Styphelia melaleucoides is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae and is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It is an upright, spreading shrub with egg-shaped to almost round leaves and white, tube-shaped flowers bearded inside.

Description
Styphelia melaleucoides is an upright, spreading shrub that typically grows up to a height of 0.25–1.5 m and sometimes has minutely, softly-hairy branches. Its leaves are egg-shaped to heart-shaped or almost round, 6.5–10.5 mm long, flat or concave with a small hard point on the tip. The flowers are arranged singly or in pairs in leaf axils, on a short peduncle with very small bracts and broad bracteoles about 1 mm long at the base. The sepals are 2.0–2.7 mm long, the petals white and joined at the base to form a tube about 6.5 mm long, with lobes as long as the petal tube, turned strongly back, and bearded inside.

Taxonomy and naming
Styphelia melaleucoides was first formally described in 1864 by Ferdinand von Mueller in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. The specific epithet (melaleucoides) means "Melaleuca-like".

Distribution
This styphelia grows on rises, undulating plains and breakaways in the Esperance Plains and Mallee bioregions of southern Western Australia.

Conservation status
Styphelia melaleucoides is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.