Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) S.T. Blake
Myrtaceae
broadleaf paperbark, punk tree, melaleuca
seed
Fruit a capsule containing 200–300 seeds. Seeds angled, outline variable but most commonly narrowly triangular, 0.6–1.2 mm long, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, 0.1–0.3 mm thick, with ends usually truncate; cross section 4–5 sided. Testa glossy, straw-colored to brown, often brown-speckled, minutely granular. Hilum inconspicuous. Embryo spatulate; endosperm absent.
Compare with:
Melaleuca leucadendra (L.) L. (non-FNW)
Melaleuca hypericifolia Sm. (non-FNW)
Melaleuca ericifolia Sm. (non-FNW)
native to Australia, New Caledonia, and New Guinea; introduced to United States
prefers wet, swampy ground but also grows on uplands; tolerates flooding
Melaleuca quinquenervia is an evergreen tree 25–33 m tall. Seeds of M. quinquenervia were broadcast by airplane in Florida in the 1930s in an attempt to dry up the Everglades. As a result, the species is now a major threat to the Everglades and other wetlands in South Florida. The tree spreads rapidly, is fire adapted, and releases massive quantities of seed only upon disturbance such as fire, frost or pruning. Its tiny seeds are wind or water borne.