Editing Melaleuca

{{Short description|Genus of plants in the Myrtle family}}
{{hatnote group|
{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect|Paperbark|other uses}} }}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Melaleuca armillaris.jpg
|image_caption = ''[[Melaleuca armillaris]]'' foliage and flowers
|display_parents = 2
|taxon = Melaleuca
|authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]<ref name="POWO">{{cite web |title=''Melaleuca'' |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:27624-1 |publisher=Plants of the World Online/Kew Science |access-date=23 July 2020}}</ref>
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = See [[List of Melaleuca species|List of ''Melaleuca'' species]]
|synonyms_ref = <ref name="POWO" />
|synonyms =
{{collapsible list|bullets = true
|title = Genus synonymy
| ''Baudinia'' <small>[[Jean-Baptiste Leschenault de La Tour|Lesch.]] ex [[DC.]]</small>
| ''Beaufortia'' <small>[[R.Br.]] in W.T.Aiton</small>
| ''Billottia'' <small>[[Luigi Aloysius Colla|Colla]]</small>
| ''Callistemon'' <small>R.Br.</small>
| ''Calothamnus'' <small>Labill.</small>
| ''Conothamnus'' <small>[[Lindl.]]</small>
| ''Eremaea'' <small>Lindl.</small>
| ''Eremaeopsis'' <small>[[Otto Kuntze|Kuntze]]</small>
| ''Gymnagathis'' <small>[[Johannes Conrad Schauer|Schauer]]</small>
| ''Kajuputi'' <small>[[Michel Adanson|Adans.]] [[Conserved name|nom. rej.]]</small>
| ''Lamarkea'' <small>[[Ludwig Reichenbach|Rchb.]] [[Orthographical variant|orth. var.]]</small>
| ''Lamarchea'' <small>[[Gaudich.]]</small>
| ''Manglesia'' <small>Lindl.</small>
| ''Meladendron'' <small>[[Jean Baptiste Saint-Lager|St.-Lag.]]</small>
| ''Melaleucon'' <small>St.-Lag. orth. var.</small>
| ''Melanoleuce'' <small>St.-Lag. orth. var.</small>
| ''Ozandra'' <small>[[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Raf.]]</small>
| ''Petraeomyrtus'' <small>[[Lyndley Craven|Craven]]</small>
| ''Phymatocarpus'' <small>[[F.Muell.]]</small>
| ''Regelia'' <small>Schauer</small>
| ''Schizopleura'' <small>[[Endl.]]</small>
| ''Trichobasis'' <small>[[Turcz.]] [[Nomen illegitimum|nom. illeg.]]</small>

}}
}}

'''''Melaleuca''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|m|ɛ|l|ə|ˈ|lj|uː|k|ə}}) is a [[genus]] of nearly 300 [[species]] of [[plant]]s in the myrtle [[Family (biology)|family]], [[Myrtaceae]], commonly known as '''paperbarks''', '''honey-myrtles''', '''bottlebrushes''' or '''tea-trees''' (although the last name is also applied to species of ''[[Leptospermum]]'').<ref name="Craven" />{{rp|19}} They range in size from small shrubs that rarely grow to more than {{cvt|16|m}} high, to trees up to {{cvt|35|m}}. Their flowers generally occur in groups, forming a "head" or "spike" resembling a [[brush]] used for cleaning bottles, containing up to 80 individual flowers.

Melaleucas are an important food source for [[Nectarivore|nectarivorous]] insects, birds, and mammals. Many are popular garden plants, either for their attractive flowers or as dense screens and a few have economic value for producing fencing and oils such as [[Tea tree oil|"tea tree" oil]]. Most melaleucas are [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[Australia]], with a few also occurring in [[Malesia]]. Seven are endemic to [[New Caledonia]], and one is found only on Australia's [[Lord Howe Island]]. 

Melaleucas are found in a wide variety of habitats. Many are adapted for life in swamps and boggy places, while others thrive in the poorest of sandy soils or on the edge of saltpans. Some have a wide distribution and are common, whilst others are rare and endangered. Land clearing, exotic [[Uredo rangelii|myrtle rust]], and especially draining and clearing of swamps threaten many species.

==Description==
Melaleucas range in size from small shrubs such as ''[[Melaleuca aspalathoides|M. aspalathoides]]'' and ''[[Melaleuca concinna|M. concinna]]'' which rarely grow to more than {{cvt|1|m}} high, to trees like ''[[Melaleuca cajuputi|M. cajuputi]]'' and ''[[Melaleuca quinquenervia|M. quinquenervia]]'', which can reach {{cvt|35|m}}. (One specimen of ''M. cajuputi'' reached a height of {{cvt|46|m}}.)<ref name=Boland>{{cite book|last1=Boland|first1=Douglas J.|title=Forest trees of Australia|date=2006|publisher=CSIRO|location=Collingwood, Vic.|isbn=9780643069695|page=612|edition=5}}</ref>

Many, like ''[[Melaleuca linariifolia|M. lineariifolia]]'', are known as paperbarks and have bark that can be peeled in thin sheets, whilst about 20% of the genus, including ''[[Melaleuca bracteata|M. bracteata]]'', have hard, rough bark and another 20% have fibrous bark. All are [[evergreen]], and the leaves vary in size from minute and scale-like (''[[Melaleuca micromera|M. micromera]]'') to {{cvt|270|mm}} long (''[[Melaleuca leucadendra|M. leucadendra]]''). Most have distinct oil glands dotted in the leaves, making the leaves aromatic, especially when crushed.<ref name="Craven" />{{rp|20–21}}

Melaleuca flowers are usually arranged in spikes or heads. Within the head or spike, the flowers are often in groups of two or three, each flower or group having a papery [[bract]] at its base. Five [[sepal]]s occur, although these are sometimes fused into a ring of tissue and five [[petal]]s which are usually small, not showy, and fall off as the flower opens or soon after. The [[stamen]]s vary greatly in colour, from white to cream or yellow, red, or mauve with their yellow tips (the [[stamen|anther]]s) contrasting with their "stalks" ([[stamen|filament]]s).<ref name="Craven" />{{rp|20–21}}

The fruits are woody, cup-shaped, barrel-shaped, or almost spherical [[Capsule (botany)|capsules]], often arranged in clusters along the stems. The seeds are sometimes retained in the fruit for many years, only opening when the plant, or part of it, dies or is heated in a [[Bushfires in Australia|bushfire]]. In tropical areas, seeds are released annually in the [[wet season]].<ref name="Craven" />{{rp|25–26}}

==Etymology==
The name ''Melaleuca'' is derived from the [[Ancient Greek]] μέλας (''mélas'') meaning "dark" or "black" and λευκός (''leukós'') meaning "white",<ref name="Gledhill">{{cite book |last1=Gledhill |first1=David |title=The names of plants |date=2006 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-86645-3 |edition=4th |location=Cambridge |page=254}}</ref><ref name="AOD">{{cite book |title=The Australian Oxford Dictionary |date=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0195507932 |editor-last=Moore |editor-first=Bruce |edition=1999 |location=South Melbourne, Vic |page=842}}</ref> apparently because one of the first specimens described had fire-blackened white bark.<ref name="Holliday">{{cite book |last1=Holliday |first1=Ivan |title=Melaleucas : a field and garden guide |date=2004 |publisher=Reed New Holland Publishers |isbn=1876334983 |edition=2nd |location=Frenchs Forest, N.S.W. |pages=6–9}}</ref> The common name "tea tree" has been applied to species in the genera ''[[Leptospermum]]'', ''Melaleuca'', ''[[Kunzea]]'', and ''[[Baeckea]]'' because the sailors on the ''[[HMS Endeavour|Endeavour]]'' used the leaves of a shrub from one of these groups as a replacement for tea (''[[Camellia sinensis]])'' during Captain [[James Cook]]'s 1770 voyage to Australia.<ref name="Southwell(1)">{{cite book |last1=Southwell |first1=Ian |title=Tea tree : The genus Melaleuca |date=1999 |publisher=Harwood Academic |isbn=9057024179 |editor-last=Southwell |editor-first=Ian |location=Amsterdam |pages=1–2 |editor2-last=Lowe |editor2-first=Robert}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Starr 020803-0090 Melaleuca quinquenervia.jpg|thumb|190px|''[[Melaleuca quinquenervia|M. quinquenervia]]'' bark showing the papery exfoliation from which the common name "paperbark" derives]]
The first known description of a ''Melaleuca'' species was written by [[Georg Eberhard Rumphius|Rumphius]] in 1741, in ''Herbarium amboinense''<ref name=Rumphius>{{cite book|last1=Rumphius|first1=Georg|title=Herbarium amboinense Volume 2|date=1741|location=Amsterdam|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/10352#page/94/mode/1up|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref> before the present system of naming plants was written. The plant he called ''Arbor alba'' is now known as ''[[Melaleuca leucadendra]]''. The name ''Melaleuca'' was first used by [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]] in 1767.<ref name=APNI(1)>{{cite web|title=''Melaleuca'' L.|url=https://biodiversity.org.au/boa/instance/apni/482624|publisher=APNI|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref> Many species previously known as ''[[Metrosideros]]'' were then placed in ''Melaleuca''. In Australia, ''Melaleuca'' is the third most diverse plant genus with up to 300 species.<ref name="Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia 15: 239-247">{{cite journal|last=Barlow|first=B.A.|title=Patterns of differentiation in tropical species of ''Melaleuca'' L. (Myrtaceae)|journal=Proceedings of the Ecological Society of Australia|year=1998|volume=15|pages=239–247}}</ref>

The genus ''[[Callistemon]]'' was raised by [[Robert Brown (Scottish botanist from Montrose)|Robert Brown]], who noted its similarity to ''Melaleuca'', distinguishing it only on the basis of whether the stamens are free of each other, or joined in bundles.<ref name=Brown>{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Robert|title=A Voyage to Terra Australis Volume 2|date=1814|location=London|page=548|url=https://archive.org/stream/generalremarksge00brow/generalremarksge00brow_djvu.txt|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref> Botanists in the past, including [[Ferdinand von Mueller]] and [[Lyndley Craven]]<ref name=Novon>{{cite journal|last1=Craven|first1=Lyndley|title=New combinations in ''Melaleuca'' for Australian species of ''Callistemon'' (Myrtaceae)|journal=Novon|date=2006|volume=16|issue=4|pages=468–475|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/41804#page/482/mode/1up|access-date=8 May 2015|doi=10.3417/1055-3177(2006)16[468:ncimfa]2.0.co;2|s2cid=84723155 }}</ref> have proposed uniting the two genera but the matter is not decided. Evidence from DNA studies suggests that either ''Callistemon'' and some other genera be incorporated into ''Melaleuca'' or that at least 10 new genera be created from the present genus.<ref name="Craven" />{{rp|16–17}}<ref name=ANPSA>{{cite web|title=''Callistemon'' – background|url=http://anpsa.org.au/callis1a.html|publisher=Australian Native Plant Society (Australia)|access-date=8 May 2015|archive-date=8 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408191316/http://anpsa.org.au/callis1a.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Edwards|first1=Robert D.|last2=Craven|first2=Lyn A.|last3=Crisp|first3=Michael D.|last4=Cook|first4=Lyn G.|date=2010|title=Melaleuca revisited: cpDNA and morphological data confirm that Melaleuca L. (Myrtaceae) is not monophyletic|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25677666|journal=Taxon|volume=59|issue=3|pages=744–754|doi=10.1002/tax.593007|jstor=25677666}}</ref>

In 2014, [[Lyndley Craven]] and others proposed, on the basis of DNA evidence and a lack of morphological support,<ref name=":0" /> that species in the genera ''[[Beaufortia (plant)|Beaufortia]]'', ''[[Calothamnus]]'', ''[[Conothamnus]]'', ''[[Eremaea (plant)|Eremaea]]'', ''[[Lamarchea]]'', ''[[Petraeomyrtus]]'', ''[[Phymatocarpus]]'' and ''[[Regelia]]'' be transferred to ''Melaleuca''.<ref name=Taxon>{{cite journal|last1=Craven|first1=Lyn A.|last2=Edwards|first2=Robert D.|last3=Cowley|first3=Kirsten J.|title=New combinations and names in ''Melaleuca'' (Myrtaceae)|journal=Taxon|date=30 June 2014|volume=63|issue=3|pages=663–670|doi=10.12705/633.38|doi-access=free}}</ref> The [[World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]] maintained by the [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]] lists ''Calothamnus'' and the other genera as synonyms of the accepted genus ''Melaleuca''.<ref>{{Cite POWO | id=27455-1 | title=''Calothamnus'' }}</ref> The move has not been adopted by all Australian [[herbarium|herbaria]] with some taxonomists, including [[Alex George (botanist)|Alex George]] opposing the move.<ref name=George>{{cite journal|last1=George|first1=Alex S.|title=More Nomenclature Clutter|journal=Wildflower Society of Western Australia Newsletter|date=August 2015|volume=53|issue=3|pages=7–9|url=http://members.ozemail.com.au/~wildflowers/Newsletter.pdf|access-date=17 August 2015|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304190219/http://members.ozemail.com.au/~wildflowers/Newsletter.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:East Alligator River Paperbarks.jpg|thumb|190px|Paperbark trees on the [[East Alligator River]] in the [[Northern Territory]]]]
Most melaleucas occur naturally only on the Australian mainland. Eight occur in [[Tasmania]], but only two are endemic to that island. One (''[[Melaleuca howeana|M. howeana]]'') is endemic to [[Lord Howe Island]] and seven are endemic to [[Grande Terre (New Caledonia)|Grande Terre]], the main island of New Caledonia.<ref name="endemia">{{cite web|title=''Melaleuca'' L.|url=http://endemia.nc/flore/fiche444|publisher=Endemia, New Caledonia|access-date=25 January 2018}}</ref> A few tropical species also occur in [[Papua New Guinea]], and the distribution of one subspecies, [[Melaleuca cajuputi|''Melaleuca cajuputi'' subsp. ''cumingiana'']] extends as far north as [[Myanmar]], [[Thailand]], and [[Vietnam]]. The southwest of [[Western Australia]] has the greatest density of species, and in the tropical north of the continent, species such as ''[[Melaleuca argentea|M. argentea]]'' and ''M. leucadendra'' are the dominant species over large areas.

Melaleucas grow in a range of soil types and many tolerate occasional or even permanent waterlogging. Some species, especially the South Australian swamp paperbark, ''[[Melaleuca halmaturorum|M. halmaturorum]]'', thrive in saline soils where few other species survive. Many are fire tolerant, regenerating from [[Epicormic shoot|epicormic buds]] or by [[coppicing]], but no melaleucas occur in rainforest and few species occur in the arid zone.<ref name="Craven" />{{rp|26–31}}

==Ecology==
Melaleucas are mostly pollinated by insects, including the introduced honey bee (''[[Apis mellifera]]''), flies, beetles, wasps and [[thrips]]. Birds such as [[Loriini|lorikeets]] and [[honeyeater]]s as well as [[bats]] often visit the flowers and are probably also pollinators.<ref name="Craven">{{cite book |last1=Brophy |first1=Joseph J. |last2=Craven |first2=Lyndley A. |last3=Doran |first3=John C. |title=Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses |date=2013 |publisher=Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research |location=Canberra |isbn=9781922137517}}</ref>{{rp|23}}<ref name="Hawkeswood">{{cite journal |last1=Hawkeswood |first1=Trevor J. |title=Jewel beetles as pollinators of ''Melaleuca pauperiflora'' F.Muell. between Eucla (W.A.) and Koonalda (S.A.) |journal=The Western Australian Naturalist |date=1980 |volume=14 |pages=238–239 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/273338#page/260/mode/1up |access-date=20 April 2020}}</ref>

Some species of ''Melaleuca'', especially ''[[Melaleuca alternifolia|M. alternifolia]]'', are cultivated for the production of tea tree oil, and in plantations are susceptible to a number of insect pests. The most significant of these is the [[Leaf beetle|chrysomelid]] ''[[Paropsisterna tigrina]]'', but other [[beetle]]s, [[cutworm]] caterpillars (''[[Agrotis|Agrotis species]]''), [[Jumping plant louse|psyllids]], mole crickets (''[[Gryllotalpa]]''), and others cause significant damage. More than 100 species of insects are known to feed on melaleucas. Native stands have fewer predators, but tea tree [[sawfly]] (''[[Pterygophorus]]'' species) and [[Longhorn beetle|longicorn beetles]] are often found.<ref name=Southwell(3)>{{cite book|last1=Campbell|first1=A.J.|last2=Maddox|first2=C.D.A.|editor-last=Southwell|editor-first=Ian|editor2-last=Lowe|editor2-first=Robert|title=Tea tree : The genus Melaleuca|date=1999|publisher=Harwood Academic|location=Amsterdam|isbn=9057024179|page=169}}</ref> The scale insect ''[[Beesonia ferrugineus]]'' forms round, fluffy-looking galls on branches of several ''Melaleuca'' species.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beesonia ferrugineus |url=http://scalenet.info/catalogue/Beesonia%20ferrugineus/ |access-date=2023-07-13 |website=scalenet.info}}</ref>

Melaleucas are also susceptible to myrtle rust (''[[Puccinia psidii]]'') which can result in damage to soft plant material and the death of highly susceptible hosts. Myrtle rust is common in eastern Australia, including [[Tasmania]] and has been detected in the [[Tiwi Islands]].<ref name="DPI">{{cite web|title=Myrtle rust|url=http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/biosecurity/plant/myrtle-rust|publisher=South Wales Government Department of Primary Industries|access-date=29 June 2016|archive-date=26 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626060535/http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/biosecurity/plant/myrtle-rust|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Invasive species===
{{Main|Melaleuca quinquenervia#Status in the United States}}
''[[Melaleuca quinquenervia]]'' (broad-leaved paperbark) is the most damaging of 60 exotic species introduced to the [[Florida]] [[Everglades]] to help drain low-lying swampy areas. Introduced in the early 20th century, it has become a serious [[invasive species]], with damaging effects including the displacement of native species, reduction in wildlife habitat, alteration of hydrology, modification of soil, and changes in fire regimes.<ref name=Florida(1)>{{cite web|last1=Mazzotti|first1=Frank J.|last2=Center|first2=Ted D.|last3=Dray|first3=F. Allen|last4=Thayer|first4=Dan|title=Ecological consequences of invasion by ''Melaleuca quinquenervia'' in south Florida wetlands: Paradise damaged, not lost|url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw123|access-date=8 May 2015|archive-date=2 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150502210344/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw123|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Florida(2)>{{cite web|last1=Langeland|first1=K.A.|title=Help protect Florida's natural areas from non-native invasive plants|url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag108|publisher=University of Florida|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=Smithsonian>{{cite web|title=''Melaleuca quinquenervia''|url=http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Melaleuca_quinquenervia.htm|publisher=Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce|access-date=8 May 2015}}</ref> The tree's perseverance in the face of efforts to eradicate it has earned it the nickname "punktree".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Andreu |first=Michael |last2=Friedman |first2=Melissa |last3=McKenzie |first3=Mary |last4=Quintana |first4=Heather |date=February 22, 2022 |title=Melaleuca quinquenervia, Melaleuca |url=https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR319 |access-date=November 8, 2024 |website=askifas}}</ref>

==Uses==
===Traditional Aboriginal uses===
[[Aboriginal Australians]] used several species of ''Melaleuca'' to make rafts, as roofing for shelter, bandages, and food preparation.<ref name=Levitt>{{cite book|last1=Levitt|first1=Dulcie|last2=Lyon|first2=Ken|title=Plants and people : aboriginal uses of plants on Groote Eylandt|date=1981|publisher=Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies|location=Canberra|isbn=9780391022058|pages=54–55}}</ref> "Bee bread" and honey were collected from the hives of native [[Stingless bee#Stingless bees of Australia|stingless bees]] in melaleuca forests in the [[Northern Territory]].<ref name=Williams>{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=Cheryll|title=Medicinal plants in Australia.|date=2010|publisher=Rosenberg|location=Dural, N.S.W.|isbn=9781877058943|edition=1}}</ref> The [[Bundjalung people]] traditionally lived in the area of north-eastern [[New South Wales]] where ''[[Melaleuca alternifolia]]'' is [[endemism|endemic]], and they treated skin infections by crushing the leaves of that species over skin infections then covering the area with a warm mudpack.<ref name=Southwell(2)>{{cite book|last1=Markham|first1=Julie L.|editor-last=Southwell|editor-first=Ian|editor2-last=Lowe|editor2-first=Robert|title=Tea tree : The genus Melaleuca|date=1999|publisher=Harwood Academic|location=Amsterdam|isbn=9057024179|page=169}}</ref>

===Essential oils===
''Melaleuca alternifolia'' is notable for its [[essential oil]], which has [[Antifungal medication|antifungal]] and [[antibiotic]] properties in vitro.<ref name="drugs">{{cite web |title=Tea tree oil |url=https://www.drugs.com/npp/tea-tree-oil.html |publisher=Drugs.com |access-date=4 May 2023 |date=13 February 2023}}</ref><ref name=ncbi>{{cite journal|last1=Carson|first1=C. F.|last2=Hammer|first2=K. A.|last3=Riley|first3=T. V.|title=''Melaleuca alternifolia'' (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties|journal=Clinical Microbiology Reviews|date=17 January 2006|volume=19|issue=1|pages=50–62|doi=10.1128/CMR.19.1.50-62.2006|pmid=16418522|pmc=1360273}}</ref> Though it is safe for [[topical medication|topical]] applications,<ref name=RIRDC>{{cite book|last1=O'Brien|first1=Peter|last2=Dougherty|first2=Tony|title=The effectiveness and safety of Australian Tea Tree oil|date=2007|publisher=RIRDC|location=Barton, A.C.T.|isbn=978-1741515398|pages=9–12|url=http://www.gelair.com.au/pdf/RIRDC-Paper-Efficacy-and-Toxicity.pdf|access-date=19 August 2015|archive-date=1 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201023427/http://www.gelair.com.au/pdf/RIRDC-Paper-Efficacy-and-Toxicity.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> tea tree oil is toxic if ingested orally.<ref name=drugs/>

The oil is produced on a commercial scale and marketed as [[tea tree oil]].<ref name="Brophy (2)">{{cite web|last1=Brophy|first1=Joseph J.|last2=Craven|first2=Lyndley A.|last3=Doran|first3=John C.|title=Melaleuca – Their Botany, Essential Oil and uses (Preliminaries)|url=http://aciar.gov.au/files/mn156-prelims_1.pdf|publisher=Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research|access-date=19 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528213958/http://aciar.gov.au/files/mn156-prelims_1.pdf|archive-date=28 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Melaleuca cajuputi'' is used to produce a similar oil, known as [[Cajeput oil|cajuput oil]], which is used in [[Southeast Asia]] to treat a variety of infections and to add fragrance to food and soaps.<ref name=Doran>{{cite book|last1=Doran|first1=John C.|editor-last1=Southwell|editor-first1=Ian|editor-last2=Lowe|editor-first2=Robert|title=Tea tree: the genus melaleuca|date=1999|publisher=Harwood Academic|location=Amsterdam|isbn=9057024179|pages=221–224}}</ref>

===Horticulture===
Melaleucas are popular garden plants, both in Australia and other tropical areas worldwide. The first to be cultivated were grown in England from seed in 1771. Some melaleucas are commonly cultivated, grown as trees for parks and large gardens (such as ''[[Melaleuca leucadendra]]'')<ref name=Wrigley>{{cite book|last1=Wrigley|first1=John W.|last2=Fagg|first2=Murray|title=Australian native plants : a manual for their propagation, cultivation and use in landscaping|date=1983|publisher=Collins|location=Sydney|isbn=0002165759|pages=351–352|edition=2nd}}</ref> or as ornamentals (sometimes as ''[[Callistemon]]'') such as ''[[Melaleuca citrina|M. citrina]]'' (''Callistemon citrinus''), ''[[Melaleuca hypericifolia|M. hypericifolia]]'' and ''[[Melaleuca wilsonii|M. wilsonii]]''.<ref name=Brophy>{{cite book|last1=Brophy|first1=Joseph J.|last2=Craven|first2=Lyndley A.|last3=Doran|first3=John C.|title=Melaleucas : their botany, essential oils and uses|date=2013|publisher=Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research|location=Canberra|isbn=9781922137517|pages=34–35}}</ref>

===Melaleucas used in horticulture===
<gallery>
Image:Melaleuca leucadendra-large1.jpg|''[[Melaleuca leucadendra|M. leucadendra]]'' in the [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney]]
Image:Melaleuca pulchella 0217.jpg|''[[Melaleuca pulchella|M. pulchella]]'' ("claw flower") in [[Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne|Melbourne Botanic Garden]]
Image:Melaleuca squarrosa.jpg|''[[Melaleuca squarrosa|M. squarrosa]]'' in [[Langwarrin, Victoria#Langwarrin Flora and Fauna reserve (formerly Langwarrin Military Reserve)|Langwarrin Flora and Fauna Reserve]]
Image:Melaleuca elliptica 01.JPG|''[[Melaleuca elliptica|M. elliptica]]'' in [[Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh|Edinburgh Botanic Garden]]
Image:Melaleucawilsonii1.jpg|''[[Melaleuca wilsonii|M. wilsonii]]'' in [[San Diego Botanic Garden]]
Image:Melaleuca pungens.JPG|''[[Melaleuca pungens|M. pungens]]'' useful as a hedge because of its prickly foliage
Image:Melaleuca hypericifolia.jpg|The widely cultivated ''[[Melaleuca hypericifolia|M. hypericifolia]]'' in [[Arthurs Seat, Victoria|Arthurs Seat State Park]]
Image:Melaleuca salicina (Nane Glen).jpg|''[[Melaleuca salicina|M. salicina]]'' – a popular garden shrub
Image:Melaleucalinariifolia.jpg|''[[Melaleuca linariifolia|M. linariifolia]]'' (snow-in-summer).
</gallery>

===In popular culture===
Tea trees (spelled ''Ti-Trees'') are specifically mentioned in the lyrics of a short aria 'Joy' published around 1916 by J.D.Fletcher & Co of London, by Australian composer [[Arthur Chanter]] (1866-1950).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://nla.gov.au:443/tarkine/nla.obj-168741823 | title=Joy &#91;music&#93; }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Melaleuca species|List of ''Melaleuca'' species]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons-inline|Melaleuca|''Melaleuca''}}

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[[Category:Melaleuca| ]]
[[Category:Myrtaceae genera]]
[[Category:Myrtales of Australia]]
[[Category:Rosids of Western Australia]]