Melalueca quinquenervia ?

[wattynine]

Certainly not to the immense quality of some of the more recent posted Mel's but one I have had a play with recently.

[Rory]

quinquinervia is distinguishable because as the term quinque is used, in that archaic latin language meaning 5, there are 5 veins that run along each leaf from the bottom of the leaf to the tip, running parallel to the leaf itself. This is usually the dead giveaway combined with the thickish leaves about 1.5cm sometimes 2cm thick, and anything from 4cm to 6cm long on average.

The bark is papery and easily peeled off, literally like small pieces of paper.

[shibui]

Leaf shape is right, trunk looks possible but, as Rory said, look for 5 longitudinal veins in the leaves to confirm ID.

[Rory]

mmmm....I dunno.....to me the bark doesn't 'look right' for quinquenervia. Looks a little too smooth especially for something 15 years old, but I'm just a DIY enthusiast. But there is usually more tan colour and flakiness in appearance to the bark.

[shibui]

I'm a long way from M. quinquinervia country Rory. I had one but it has finally succumbed to the frost last winter (just died back to the trunk each winter before that) so I defer to your superior local knowledge. There are lots of other Mels that have similar shaped leaves after all.
We'll see what Wattynine says about the leaves and take it from there.

[Rory]

The bark on this one is about 5 years old, just to give you an idea.



Even on seedlings you usually see the tan/beige coloured formations on the bark quite strikingly obvious and is usually prominent. Relatively young branches are still kind of tanish coloured, and are not so 'flush' white like it appears in your photo.

Google images of the bark:

httpss://www.google.com/searchsite=&tbm= ... I48-qrQU_g

I'm a long way from M. quinquinervia country Rory. I had one but it has finally succumbed to the frost last winter (just died back to the trunk each winter before that) so I defer to your superior local knowledge. There are lots of other Mels that have similar shaped leaves after all.
We'll see what Wattynine says about the leaves and take it from there.

shibui, you are an amazing source of info for this site, and your tireless help to others is always welcomed.

[wattynine]

Thanks for the interest guys.
As a solution to the bark colour, yes mine normally looks like the photo Rory posted but I have a practice of cleaning them up every year by removing some top layers, hence the white appearance. The 5 vein hint certainly rings some bells on the older leaves but as these have just shot and I am practicing keeping the little shoots little it's a little hard to tell about the veins as yet (add to that I am currently 400 Kim's from home and cannot run down and check).
I will admit the leaves posted on Rory's tree's look a little ovate compared to mine and let go the leaves on mine can get up to around 8cm long and 2-2.5"cm wide, yes quite a large leaf.
I will update when I get the opportunity
Watty

[wattynine]

I think we can confirm quinqenervia, see photos below.
Note leaf reduction as a given comparison
Sidenote - have lost a side branch, something I didn't mention in the first post was when I re-potted this I noticed a "squishy" bit at th rear of the tree. On inspection there was a borer track from top to bottom so I scored it out then "fired" it, don't know if that was necessary but its something I had wanted to trial anyway, again see photo.
So maybe up for a restyle/ change of angle in the next potting, bugger I have only just done that,
anyhooo to the photos

The tree now sans right hand branch

CIMG5657.JPG

a couple of photos of the leaf for an average (around 3-4cm reduced to)

CIMG5658.JPG

CIMG5659.JPG

and the leaf of a much younger tree, actually grown from seed from this mother plant, and normal size up to 12cm long and yes showing the 5 veins.

CIMG5660.JPG

and sorry a very bad photo of the burnt out back

CIMG5661.JPG

thanks for the interest

Watty