Chamelaucium uncinatum

The Hakige Chamelaucium ( Chamelaucium uncinatum ) is a flowering plant in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae ). In his native Australia, it grows in heathland. As an ornamental plant, this plant is offered in Europe as a cut or rare potted plant.

Chamelaucium was first described in 1844 by the botanist Johann uncinatum Konrad Schauer. He gave her the Artnahmen (Latin uncinatum = hooked ) on the basis of the hook- shaped bent down leaves.

Description

Chamelaucium uncinatum is an evergreen shrub. In their homeland they grow in bushes and reach a height of two to four meters. The summer heat and drought in Australia are survived with the water stored in the tissue. The needle-like, almost round, slightly fleshy leaves are only about one -half to one millimeter wide and up to four inches long. The leaves are opposite each other crosswise in alternate pairs. The leaf glands contain like all Myrtle easily evaporating essential oils, so that the leaves give off a pleasant, reminiscent of lemon scent when crushed.

At the beginning of the flowering season, when the plant develops the first buds, the bushes look like studded with small pearls. The flowers give the impression of small works of art made of marzipan or wax. In the areas around the Australian Geraldton, the plants are therefore also called " Geraldton waxflower ".

Dissemination

The genus comprises about 30 species Chamelaucium, all of which are native to Western Australia. Chamelaucium uncinatum grows in an approximately 600 km long coastal strip in summer-dry, sandy heathland.

Because of their appearance Chamelaucium is uncinatum as an ornamental plant in the subtropics to tropics popular and is grown in addition to Australia and in Israel and California. From here, the branches are sold as cut flowers to Europe.

Care

There is a wide range of different varieties, which are characterized by different flowers. At low soil moisture to thrive. Since the plants are not hardy in Europe, it is necessary to keep them in pots and see during the cold season. Due to the rather slow growth, it is not necessary to repot frequently. Similarly, the plant rarely needs to be fertilized.

As a particularly beautiful cultivar, the cultivar ' University ' or ' University Red' described with deep -purple flowers. The term " Chamelaucium Jasper " a loose -growing cultivar with pink flowers is commercially available.

Swell

Encke / Buchheim / Seybold: Walleye, Concise Dictionary of Plant Names, 15th Edition, ISBN 3-8001-5072-7

Hardiness (plants)

175513