Melaleuca ericifolia

Swamp paperbark
Melaleuca ericifolia at Mount Martha
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species:
M. ericifolia
Binomial name
Melaleuca ericifolia
Synonyms
  • Cajuputi ericifolia (Sm.) A.Lyons
  • Melaleuca axillaris Steud.
  • Melaleuca gunniana Johannes Conrad SchauerSchauer
  • Melaleuca gunniana var. capitata Miq.
  • Melaleuca heliophila Miq.
  • Melaleuca pinifolia Colla
  • Melaleuca ternifolia F.Muell. ex Miq.
  • Myrtoleucodendron ericifolium (Sm.) Kuntze

Melaleuca ericifolia, commonly known as swamp paperbark, is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and the genus Melaleuca, native to south-eastern Australia. It is a rather variable species and some specimens resemble Melaleuca armillaris but its papery bark and smaller, more prolific flower heads distinguish it from that species. It often grows in swampy areas and the draining and clearing of these has reduced the numbers of the species, especially around Port Philip Bay near Melbourne. It is also similar to Melaleuca pustulata, a Tasmanian endemic, but that species only grows in dry heath.