Shitanshu / Weeping Paperbark
Melaleuca leucadendra
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- West Bengal, Maharashtra
- Flowering
- 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
- Arrangement
- Opposite
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
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Shitanshu itself; the rest are typical of the Myrtaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local 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
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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