AusTraits

Melaleuca ericifolia

Explore the data for this taxon in the portal

Family Myrtaceae

Taxonomy: Melaleuca ericifolia Sm.

Synonyms: 9 (APC 2026-07-30)
  • Cajuputi ericifolia (Sm.) A.Lyons (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Melaleuca ericifolia Sm. var. ericifolia (nomenclatural synonym)
  • Melaleuca gunniana Schauer (taxonomic synonym)
  • Melaleuca gunniana Schauer var. gunniana (taxonomic synonym)
  • Melaleuca gunniana var. capitata Miq. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Melaleuca heliophila Miq. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Melaleuca pinifolia Colla (taxonomic synonym)
  • Melaleuca ternifolia Miq. (taxonomic synonym)
  • Myrtoleucodendron ericifolium (Sm.) Kuntze (nomenclatural synonym)

Distribution (APC): NSW, Vic, Tas

Profiles: APC, Flora of Australia, ALA, iNaturalist, NSW Flora, Vic Flora, ATRP

Traits

Top source datasets: Clarke_2015 (3), Collette_2021 (1), Draper_2023 (3), Jordan_2001 (4), Kew_2019_1 (3), Kew_2019_3 (3), McGlone_2015 (6), Mokany_2015 (2), Morgan_2011_1 (5), NHNSW_2014_2 (3), NHNSW_2022 (3), NHNSW_2023 (20), NSWFRD_2014 (9), Nicholson_2017 (3), RBGV_2022 (3), RBGV_2023 (16), Sjostrom_2006 (4), Staples_2019 (5), Wenk_2022 (2), Wenk_2023 (1), White_2020 (38), Williams_2011 (10), Wright_2000 (4). See below for a full list of sources.
Summary: AusTraits contains 57 traits from 151 records in 23 datasets.

Traits by category (click to expand). For categorical traits, the values are listed. For numerical traits, the mean and range are shown.

fire response
  • resprouting_capacity (categorical): fire_killed (1); resprouts (3) [sources: Clarke_2015; NSWFRD_2014; Nicholson_2017; White_2020]
  • post_fire_recruitment (categorical): post_fire_recruitment_absent (1) [sources: Clarke_2015]
flower morphology
  • flower_colour (categorical): white_cream (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2]
  • sex_type (categorical): hermaphrodite (2); monoecious (1) [sources: Jordan_2001; Sjostrom_2006]
fruit morphology
  • fruit_width (numerical): 3 mm (1.5-4 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • fruit_height (numerical): 2.75 mm (1.5-4 mm) [sources: NHNSW_2023]
  • fruit_type (categorical): capsule (4) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; Sjostrom_2006; Wright_2000]
  • fruit_fleshiness (categorical): dry (3) [sources: Jordan_2001; Sjostrom_2006; Wright_2000]
  • fruit_dehiscence (categorical): dehiscent (4) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023; Sjostrom_2006; Wright_2000]
leaf morphology
  • leaf_area (numerical): 14.92 mm2 (14.92-14.92 mm2) [sources: Mokany_2015]
  • leaf_length (numerical): 14.33 mm (7-19 mm) [sources: McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_width (numerical): 1 mm (1-1 mm) [sources: McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • petiole_length (numerical): 0.1 cm (0.1-0.1 cm) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_shape (categorical): linear (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_margin (categorical): entire (2) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_compoundness (categorical): simple (3) [sources: McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_lamina_posture (categorical): recurved (1) [sources: RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_phyllotaxis (categorical): whorled (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • leaf_arrangement (categorical): scattered (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
  • plant_photosynthetic_organ (categorical): leaf (2) [sources: NHNSW_2023; RBGV_2023]
life history
  • photosynthetic_pathway (categorical): c3 (4) [sources: Kew_2019_3; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • plant_growth_form (categorical): shrub (7); tree (4) [sources: McGlone_2015; NHNSW_2022; NSWFRD_2014; RBGV_2022; Wenk_2022; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • life_form (categorical): phanerophyte (2) [sources: Morgan_2011_1; Williams_2011]
  • life_history (categorical): perennial (5) [sources: Jordan_2001; Morgan_2011_1; NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; Wenk_2023]
  • woodiness_detailed (categorical): woody (3) [sources: NHNSW_2022; RBGV_2022; Wenk_2022]
  • nitrogen_fixing (categorical): non_nitrogen_fixer (3) [sources: White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • root_structure (categorical): ectomycorrhizal (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • parasitic (categorical): not_parasitic (2) [sources: White_2020]
  • pollination_syndrome (categorical): bird (1); insect (3); mammal (1) [sources: Draper_2023; White_2020]
  • pollination_system (categorical): biotic_unspecialised (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • dispersal_syndrome (categorical): anemochory (5); barochory (1) [sources: Draper_2023; Morgan_2011_1; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020; Williams_2011]
  • dispersers (categorical): passive (1); wind (3) [sources: Draper_2023; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • flowering_time (categorical): nnnnnnnnyyyn (1); yynnnnnnnnny (2); yynnnnnnyyyn (1) [sources: NHNSW_2014_2; NSWFRD_2014; White_2020]
  • seedbank_location (categorical): canopy_seedbank (1) [sources: NSWFRD_2014]
  • seedbank_longevity_class (categorical): transient (2) [sources: White_2020]
  • seed_dormancy_class (categorical): non_dormant (1) [sources: Collette_2021]
  • vegetative_reproduction_ability (categorical): not_vegetative (1); vegetative (2) [sources: Morgan_2011_1; White_2020]
  • clonal_spread_mechanism (categorical): non_clonal (1) [sources: Williams_2011]
  • bud_bank_location (categorical): basal_buds (1); basal_stem_buds (1) [sources: Clarke_2015; NSWFRD_2014]
seed morphology
  • seed_dry_mass (numerical): 0.09 mg (0.01-0.23 mg) [sources: Kew_2019_1]
stem morphology
  • wood_density (numerical): 0.61 mg/mm3 (0.59-0.64 mg/mm3) [sources: Staples_2019]
whole plant morphology

Sources

dataset_idn_traitsn_recordsreference
White_20202038M. White, S. Sinclair, and D. Frood. Victorian Vital Attributes Database. database. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria, 2020.
NHNSW_20231320N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
RBGV_20231416VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2023. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Williams_20111010R. P. Duncan, S. E. Clemants, R. T. Corlett, A. K. Hahs, M. A. McCarthy, M. J. McDonnell, M. W. Schwartz, K. Thompson, P. A. Vesk, and N. S. G. Williams. “Plant traits and extinction in urban areas: a meta-analysis of 11 cities”. Global Ecology and Biogeography 20.4 (2011), pp. 509-519. doi: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00633.x.
NSWFRD_201489B. Kenny, C. Orscheg, E. Tasker, M. A. Gill, and R. Bradstock. NSW Flora Fire Response Database, v2.1. database. NSW Department of Planning Industry and Environment, 2014.
McGlone_201566M. S. McGlone, S. J. Richardson, G. J. Jordan, and G. L. Perry. “Is there a `suboptimal' woody species height? A response to Scheffer et al.”. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 30.1 (2015), pp. 4-5. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.09.007.
Morgan_2011_155J. Morgan. “Unpublished data: Grassy woodland traits, La Trobe University”. 2011.
Staples_201915T. Staples, J. M. Dwyer, J. R. England, and M. M. Mayfield. “Productivity does not correlate with species and functional diversity in Australian reforestation plantings across a wide climate gradient”. Global Ecology and Biogeography 28.10 (2019), pp. 1417-1429. doi: 10.1111/geb.12962.
Jordan_200144G. J. Jordan. “An investigation of long-distance dispersal based on species native to both Tasmania and New Zealand”. Australian Journal of Botany 49.3 (2001), pp. 333-340. doi: 10.1071/bt00024.
Sjostrom_200644A. Sjöström and C. L. Gross. “Life-history characters and phylogeny are correlated with extinction risk in the Australian angiosperms”. Journal of Biogeography 33.2 (2006), pp. 271-290. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2005.01393.x.
Wright_200044I. J. Wright, H. T. Clifford, R. Kidson, M. L. Reed, B. L. Rice, and M. Westoby. “A survey of seed and seedling characters in 1744 Australian dicotyledon species: Cross-species trait correlations and correlated trait-shifts within evolutionary lineages”. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 69 (2000), pp. 521-547. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2000.tb01222.x.
Clarke_201533P. J. Clarke, M. J. Lawes, B. P. Murphy, J. Russell-Smith, C. E. Nano, R. Bradstock, N. J. Enright, J. B. Fontaine, C. R. Gosper, I. Radford, J. J. Midgley, and R. M. Gunton. “A synthesis of postfire recovery traits of woody plants in Australian ecosystems”. Science of The Total Environment 534 (2015), pp. 31-42. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.002.
Draper_202333J. T. Draper, S. Delean, J. G. Conran, P. Weinstein, and B. S. Simpson. “Life-history characteristics and climate correlates of dioecious plant species in central southern Australia”. Australian Journal of Botany unknown.unknown (2023), p. unknown. doi: 10.1071/BT22110.
Kew_2019_113Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
Kew_2019_333Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Salt and water tolerance data from the Seed Information Database (SID) and Seed Bank Database. 2019. url: http://data.kew.org/sid/.
NHNSW_2014_233Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. PLantNET: NSW flora online. 2014. url: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
NHNSW_202233N. H. of New South Wales. The Plant Information Network System of The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Version 2.0.. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/.
Nicholson_201723A. Nicholson, L. D. Prior, G. L. W. Perry, and D. M. J. S. Bowman. “High post-fire mortality of resprouting woody plants in Tasmanian Mediterranean-type vegetation”. International Journal of Wildland Fire 26 (2017), pp. 532-537. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF16211.
RBGV_202233VicFlora. Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. accessed on 6 May, 2022.. 2022. url: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/.
Mokany_201522K. Mokany, J. J. Thomson, A. J. J. Lynch, G. J. Jordan, and S. Ferrier. “Linking changes in community composition and function under climate change”. Ecological Applications 25.8 (2015), pp. 2132-2141. doi: 10.1890/14-2384.1.
Wenk_202222E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant growth forms dataset”. 2022.
Collette_202111J. C. Collette and M. K. J. Ooi. “Distribution of seed dormancy classes across a fire-prone continent: effects of rainfall seasonality and temperature”. Annals of Botany 127.5 (2021), pp. 613-620. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcaa203.
Wenk_202311E. Wenk. “Unpublished data: Australian plant life history dataset, University of New South Wales, Sydney”. 2023.