Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Synonyms Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Melaleuca decussata R. Br.

Synonyms

Melaleuca decussata R. Br. var. decussata
Melaleuca decussata R. Br. var. ovoidea J.M. Black
Melaleuca elegans Hornsch.
Melaleuca parviflora Rchb.
Melaleuca tetragona Lodd. ex Otto
Myrtoleucodendron decussatum (R. Br.) Kuntze

Family

Myrtaceae

Common Names

cajeput, cross honey myrtle, cross leaf honey myrtle, crossed leaved honey myrtle, cross-leaf honey myrtle, cross-leaf honey-myrtle, cross-leaved honey myrtle, cross-leaved honey-myrtle, totem poles, totem-poles

Origin

Native to south-eastern Australia (i.e. Victoria and southern South Australia).

Naturalised Distribution

Naturalised beyond its native range in Victoria.

Notes

Cross-leaved honey-myrtle (Melaleuca decussata) is regarded as an environmental weed in parts of Victoria that are outside its native range. This species is widely cultivated as a garden ornamental in south-eastern Australia. It has escaped cultivation and become naturalised in grasslands and grassy woodland. It can also form relatively dense stands in native pastures following disturbance or clearing.

Cross-leaved honey-myrtle (Melaleuca decussata) is thought to pose a serious threat to one or more vegetation formations in Victoria and is listed as an environmental weed in several regions in this state (e.g. in the Geelong area, the Goulburn Broken catchment, and the Wimmera bioregion).