Malleostemon peltiger

Family: Myrtaceae
Distribution: Sandy soils and sandplains south from Shark Bay to around Morawa, east of Dongara.
Common Name: No generally accepted common name.
Conservation Status: Not considered to be at risk in the wild.
Derivation of Name: Malleostemon… From Latin malleus, a hammer and Greek stamon, a thread or stamen, referring to the hammer-like shape of the stamens.
peltiger… From Latin peltatus, a small shield, referring to the small shield or crescent shaped leaves.

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General Description:

Malleostemon is a genus of 14 named species with several unnamed species1.   They are small to medium shrubs that are most closely related to Thryptomene, Micromyrtus and Corynanthera and are endemic to Western Australia.

Malleostemon peltiger (previously Micromyrtus peltiger) is a straggly shrub about 0.5 to 2 metres high.The small oval-shaped leaves are 1-1.5 mm long, closely spaced and almost globular.  The teatree-like flowers are about 8 mm in diameter and appear signally in the upper leaf axils.  They are white or occasionally pale pink and are seen from late winter to spring.

This species is occasionally grown by enthusiasts but is not widely cultivated. It is a hardy plant for temperate climates in well drained soils in a sunny or partially shaded location.  Tip pruning from an early age will promote a bushy growth habit and more profuse flowering.  It should be able to tolerate extended dry conditions once established and moderate frosts.

Seed germinates well without pretreatment. Cuttings of firm, current season’s growth can be expected to strike readily.

  1. Green J. W. (1983);   Malleostemon, a new genus of Myrtaceae (subfamily Leptospermoideae, tribe Chamelaucieae) from south-western Australia. Nuytsia 4(3): 295–315 (1983)

 

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Malleostemon peltiger
Photo: Murray Fagg – Australian National Botanic Gardens

 

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