Typical of the Myrtaceae family
Melaleuca leucadendra
Shitanshu / Weeping Paperbark शीतांशु
Hindi name · See all regional names ↓
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- West Bengal, Maharashtra
- Flowering
- July-November
Shitanshu in regional languages
Find the name you know, then compare it with the botanical profile. Columns list recorded aliases; they are not paired translations. A Latin spelling appears only when it is present in the source record.
| Language | Regional script | Recorded Latin spelling |
|---|---|---|
| Hindi | शीतांशु · विशाहा | Shitanshu, Vishaha |
| Bengali | ক্যাজুপুট | Not recorded |
| Tamil | கையாப்புடை · காகித மரம் · பேப்பர் மரம் | kaiyapputai |
| Kannada | ಕಾಜಪುಟೆ · ಕಾಜಪುಟೆ ಮರ | Kaajapute |
| Malayalam | മെലാലൂക ലൂകഡെൻട്ര | Cajeputier |
| Marathi | कायापुटी | kayaputi |
See the original recorded names
- Hindi
- शीतांशु Shitanshu, विशाहा Vishaha
- Bengali
- ক্যাজুপুট
- Tamil
- கையாப்புடை kaiyapputai, காகித மரம், பேப்பர் மரம்
- Kannada
- ಕಾಜಪುಟೆ Kaajapute, ಕಾಜಪುಟೆ ಮರ
- Malayalam
- Cajeputier, മെലാലൂക ലൂകഡെൻട്ര
- Marathi
- कायापुटी kayaputi
Ecology & growing context
- Native status · Kew WCVP
- WCVP records it as introduced in Andaman Is., Nicobar Is. Kew dataset ↗
Kew WCVP dataset; accepted-name match. Dataset matching is separate from an individual regional review. Recorded worldwide native range: Maluku to N. Australia.
- Recorded habitat
- Cultivated
- Explore nearby plants
- West Bengal →Maharashtra →
Occurrence records show where a plant has been recorded; they do not establish that it is native there. Compare local habitat and growing conditions when choosing plants for a garden.
How to identify Shitanshu
Identify Shitanshu by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Thick white spongy peeling bark.
- Confirm leaf shape: Lanceolate.
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous.
- Confirm flower colour: White-cream.
- Confirm flower arrangement: Spike.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-November.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Melaleuca leucadendra
- Genus
- Melaleuca
- Family
- Myrtaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Cultivated
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Australia
- Found in India
- West Bengal, Maharashtra
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-November
- Conservation status
- EN
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.“The leaves are arranged alternately, 75–270 mm (3–10 in) long, 6.5–40 mm (0.3–2 in) wide, flat, narrow egg-shaped or lance-shaped and tapering to a point.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf surface
- GlabrousrecordedSmooth, hairless.“Its leaves and young branches are covered with fine, short, white hairs when young but become glabrous as they mature.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
Characters marked “recorded” are for Shitanshu itself; the rest are typical of the Myrtaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- White-creamrecorded
- Flower arrangement
- SpikerecordedFlowers arranged directly on a central stem without individual stalks.“Each spike is up to 35 mm (1 in) in diameter, up to 80 mm (3 in) long and contains between 7 and 22 groups of flowers in threes.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
Characters marked “recorded” are for Shitanshu itself; the rest are typical of the Myrtaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Shitanshu
A member of the Myrtaceae family, Weeping Paperbark (Melaleuca leucadendra) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in West Bengal and Maharashtra. It is cultivated. Flowering and fruiting run from July to November.
Uses
Locally it is cut for timber and furniture, distilled for an aromatic oil and valued as a shade and avenue tree.
Myrtaceae
Myrtle/Eucalyptus family
Shitanshu belongs to the Myrtaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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