Melaleuca decussata
Cross-leaf Honey-myrtle or Totem Poles at Chisholm, ACT
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| Melaleuca decussata | MichaelMulvaney | 16 Apr 2015 | |
| Melaleuca decussata | RussellB | 30 Mar 2015 | |
| Unverified | MichaelBedingfield | 18 Nov 2014 |
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Significant sighting
MichaelBedingfield noted:
9 Dec 2015
The sighting is of note because it is the first reported occurrence of this non-local native species as a wild plant in the ACT.
User's notes
Identification confirmed by David Albrecht at the ANBG with a specimen, 9 Dec 2015.
15 comments
19 Nov 2014
Could be the pink version of melaleuca amillaris which is currently flowering (in my garden) and not native to NSW or ACT (so may be a garden escape) or possibly melaleuca parvistaminea which is described as being sometimes pink tinged.
19 Nov 2014
The leaves are different to the Melaleuca parvistaminea I saw before, so I thought it would be a different species.
24 Mar 2015
The fruit enclosed in woody pith is likely to be diagnostic, but not a species I am familiar with - probably introduced.
30 Mar 2015
This looks like a good match for M. decussata, a species native to Victoria & adjacent South Australia, but widely planted in SE Australia.
17 Apr 2015
Michael if you find time can you make a specimen collation of this plant for the CSIRO herbarium, and make a comment whether you think it has self seeded or was planted
Cheers Michael
17 Apr 2015
Hi Michael. I can do that. Can you please explain why? Shall I wait until Spring when it is in flower?
17 Apr 2015
Thanks, collecting when it is in flower would be best. For two reasons if it is M. decussata then this is the first record of it becoming naturalised in the ACT, which may be of importance in the future if it becomes a significant weed and secondly the location of this record places a little bit of doubt as to how a South Australian plant got there and the collection provides a further check that the ID is correct and this is not a significant local plant.
12 Nov 2015
Hi Michael. I have collected a specimen as requested. This is quite a mature shrub. I also found a couple of other younger plants a few hundred yards away. What do I do next?
12 Nov 2015
Michael can you take the specimen to David Albrecht at the CSIRO herbarium within the Black Mountain complex. If that is difficult let me know and I will come and pick up the specimen to deliver to David.
13 Nov 2015
Thanks again Michael, but I'll be ok. I spoke(email) to David Albrecht re the Carex polyantha, and he said to drop it in at the ANBG visitors front desk. So I'll deliver this one too, next time I go uptown.
10 Dec 2015
Hi Michael M. The identification was confirmed by David Albrecht who was happy to have the specimen for their records.
10 Dec 2015
Thanks Michael - thisis the first naturalised record of this plant in the ACT
12 Apr 2025
Hello @MichaelMulvaney . A few weeks ago I walked along the Old Tuggeranong Rd and noticed that this shrub has spread its offspring. There are maybe twenty young specimens growing in the drain along the western edge of this road.
Location information
- Coordinates 149.133064-35.436317
- Altitude 715.8m
- Places Chisholm, ACT
Sighting information
- At least 1 Abundance
- 3 Nov 2014 02:41 PM Recorded on
- MichaelBedingfield Recorded by
Collections
- Significant Plants Other Shrubs MichaelBedingfield Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Melaleuca decussata
Species information
- Melaleuca decussata Scientific name
- Cross-leaf Honey-myrtle or Totem Poles Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Non-local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- 567.1m to 716.2m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
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- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
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