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Melaleuca linariifolia

Common name:	Flax-Leaved Paper-Bark	Family:	Myrtaceae
Author:	Sm.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Metrosideros hyssopifolia
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia.
Habitat:	Wet and swampy places near the coast, also on the coastal plateaux, often on shale[152].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Cajeput Tree [P], Cajeput-tree [B], Nd [E],
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Myrtales. Myrtle family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Australia

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 10m. It is hardy to zone 9. It is in leaf all year, in flower in July. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antibacterial.

An essential oil obtained from the fresh leaves and twigs is antibacterial[152]. It is used in the treatment of headaches[152].

One report says that the oil is very similar to tea tree oil, obtained from M. alternifolia[254]. The uses of that oil are as follows:-
Tea tree, and in particular its essential oil, is one of the most important natural antiseptics and it merits a place in every medicine chest[254]. It is useful for treating stings, burns, wounds and skin infections of all kinds[254].
An essential oil obtained from the leaves and twigs is strongly antiseptic, diaphoretic and expectorant[156, 157, 238]. It stimulates the immune system and is effective against a broad range of bacterial and fungal infections[238]. Internally, it is used in the treatment of chronic and some acute infections, notably cystitis, glandular fever and chronic fatigue syndrome[254]. It is used externally in the treatment of thrush, vaginal infections, acne, athlete's foot, verrucae, warts, insect bites, cold sores and nits[238]. It is applied neat to verrucae, warts and nits, but is diluted with a carrier oil such as almond for other uses[238].
The oil is non-irritant[238]. Another report says that high quality oils contain about 40% terpinen-4-ol, which is well tolerated by the skin and 5% cineol which is irritant. However, in poor quality oils the levels of cineol can exceed 10% and in some cases up to 65%[254].
The essential oil is used in aromatherapy. Its keyword is 'Antiseptic'[210].

Other Uses

Essential Hedge Wood.

An essential oil from the leaves has a nutmeg scent[156]. It is used medicinally[152].
Plants can be used for hedging in climates that are suitable for them[157].
Wood - very durable in damp ground or wet conditions[167].

Cultivation details

Requires a fertile, well-drained moisture retentive lime-free soil in full sun[182]. Prefers a soil that does not contain much nitrogen[188].
This species is not very cold-hardy in Britain, though it should succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. Plants tolerate temperatures down to at least -7° c in Australian gardens[157] but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. One report says that it can tolerate occasional lows to about -5° c[260].
Plants can be difficult to establish[167].
The flowers are fragrant[245].
Seed takes about 12 months to develop on the plant, the woody seed capsules persist for 3 or more years[200].
Any pruning is best done after the plants have flowered with the intention of maintaining a compact habit[200].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in spring or autumn onto a pot of permanently moist soil in a warm greenhouse. Emmerse in 5cm of water and do not water from overhead. Grow on until the seedlings are 0.5cm tall then remove from the water and pot up a week later. Seedlings are liable to damp off when grown this way, sowing the seed thinly, good ventilation and hygiene are essential for success[200]. Grow the plants on for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and then plant them out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors.
Cuttings of half-ripe lateral shoots with a heel, July/August in a frame[200].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are fragrant[245].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Myrtaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[152] Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.
A very good and readable guide to the subject.

[156] Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney 1981 ISBN 0-00-216441-8
A very readable book.

[157] Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0
A lovely book, written in order to encourage Australian gardeners to grow their native plants. A little bit of information for the plant project.

[167] Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. 1974 ISBN 0-85179-627-3
A well illustrated and very readable book, but it does not contain much information for the plant project.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[210] Westwood. C. Aromatherapy - A guide for home use. Amberwood Publishing Ltd 1993 ISBN 0-9517723-0-9
An excellent little pocket guide. Very concise.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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