Melaleuca quinquenervia, commonly known as the broad-leaved paperbark or paper bark tea tree in Australia, niaouli in New Caledonia and punk tree in the United States, is a small- to medium-sized tree of the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It grows as a spreading tree up to 20 m (70 ft) tall, with its trunk covered by a white, beige and grey thick papery bark. The grey-green leaves are egg-shaped, and cream or white bottlebrush-like flowers appear from late spring to autumn. It was first formally described in 1797 by the Spanish naturalist Antonio José Cavanilles.
From Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is it poisonous?
We have no record of Broad-leaved paperbark being toxic, poisonous or venomous. That is not proof that it is safe. Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
- Melaleuca cajuputi
- Melaleuca leucadendra
- Melaleuca viridiflora
- Melaleuca dealbata
- Melaleuca salicina
- Melaleuca fluviatilis
Classification
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Order
- Myrtales
- Family
- Myrtaceae
- Genus
- Melaleuca
- Species
- Melaleuca quinquenervia
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