150 COMBRETACEAE 
Petioles 4-15 mm long, with a pair of obscure lateral 
glands at the top or at the base of the leaf blade. 
Leaf blades discolorous, obovate, elliptic or obdeltoid, 
21-110 mm long, (15)30-62 mm wide, L/W 1.3-2.2, 
domatia absent, base often unequal, attenuate, apex 
blunt to emarginate. Inflorescences 31-120 mm long. 
Fruit a dry, glabrous, yellow to yellowish-green, 
2-winged nut, body 15-25 mm long, flattened on one 
Terminalia 
side, angled on the other, including wings, 27-70 mm 
wide. Flowering: Aug - Dec; fruiting: Oct - Jan, 
often on the bare branches. Fig. 46 
From the Kimberley to the Gulf. In the DR, known 
from coastal monsoon vine forest at Gunn Point and 
Mandorah. Inland the species grows on heavy soils 
which become seasonally waterlogged. 
MYRTACEAE 
’ Trees or shrubs; oil dots present in most organs. Stipules present or absent. Leaves opposite or 
alternate, rarely whorled, simple, often sclerophyllous, entire, intramarginal vein often present. 
Inflorescence cymose to racemose or flowers solitary and axillary, bisexual or rarely unisexual, 
actinomorphic, rarely zygomorphic, epigynous to perigynous, the hypanthium often well developed. 
Perianth (3)4-5(6)-merous, parts free or variously united to form a calyptra (operculum); petals 
sometimes absent. Stamens few to numerous, borne at the rim or on the upper surface of the 
hypanthium, free in a continuous or interrupted ring or united at the base into 4 or 5 bundles or 
united for part of their length into a tube; staminodes sometimes present; anther connective with an 
apical gland, thecae opening by longitudinal slits or apical pores; nectary borne on the summit of 
the ovary or lining the hypanthium. Ovary inferior to superior, 1-5(16)-locular; placentation axile, 
ovules 2-many per locule. Style usually terminal with a capitate stigma. Fruit a 1-many seeded 
berry or a capsule, a drupe or a nut. 
About 140 genera and 3000 or more species in tropical, subtropical and to a lesser extent, temperate regions 
throughout the world; 75 genera in Australia. Represented in the NT by 24 genera; 14 genera and 66 species in 
the DR. The family has traditionally been recognised as consisting of two subfamilies, the Myrtoideae and the 
Leptospermoideae. The former are generally fleshy fruited and best developed in the New World, the latter are 
mostly capsular and are centred in the Australasian region. Johnson & Briggs (1983) provide keys to all 
Australian genera as well as keys and descriptions for the subfamilies and alliances. 
1. Fruitidrys dehiscentiorindehiscentiir,msrsrtsrirtarssteeriaetersestceteceeeetetee eisai torrrestienitted 2 
1. Fruit succulent or firmly fleshy; indehiscent ..........:.ccesssssessseesesesesceteeeeseeseeseneseseeeeeeeeeees 12 
i) ue LEAVES 3 MIM Wide Pacteetesastecteresteessettsrssteveseterersets 3 
2. Leaves reduced, scale-like or linear, <3 mm wide 11 
- 3. Flowers united in a spheroidal head... 2: 4 
3 ME LOW CISL CG receracrecerertatoserstrivecrttttties emt ctettencred tervertarerpertrensdtsradteesmettrtestese TTT Tet rT Tes 5 
4. | Stamens connate for two thirds of their length Asteromyrtus 
4. stamens-connate lat thein bases onl ypessecrmmmerrtstersesiasteeerereiecesesesrerstetiereccettereeettstsorertersttts Melaleuca 
5. Leaves <7 mm wide Leptospermum 
5. Leaves >7 mm wide 6 
6 Petals absent; mangrove Osbornia 
6. Petals present; upland species 7 
7. Inflorescence a spike, “bottle brush” Melaleuca 
(/ See Inflorescencesother wise metuanctremertetertetttenrtartersmrestte reset testeter ee eerie ett sree 8 
