▁caps ules , ▁ ▁long , ▁with ▁a ▁star ▁sh aped ▁opening , ▁scattered ▁or ▁in ▁small ▁clusters ▁along ▁the ▁st ems . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁and ▁naming ▁Mel ale uca ▁quadr if aria ▁was ▁first ▁formally ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁by ▁Ferdinand ▁von ▁Mu eller ▁in ▁" S ou thern ▁Science ▁Record ". ▁( The ▁description ▁was ▁not ▁formally ▁published ▁but ▁a ▁page ▁proof ▁was ▁distributed ▁by ▁Mu eller .) ▁The ▁specific ▁ep ith et ▁( quad rif aria ) ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁ ▁meaning ▁" four " ▁and ▁ ▁meaning ▁"- fold " ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁dec uss ate ▁or ▁" four - fold " ▁arrangement ▁of ▁the ▁leaves . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁and ▁habitat ▁This ▁mel ale uca ▁occurs ▁from ▁the ▁New deg ate ▁area ▁and ▁east ▁as ▁far ▁as ▁the ▁border ▁region ▁with ▁South ▁Australia ▁including ▁parts ▁of ▁F ras er ▁Range ▁Station , ▁Cape ▁Ar id ▁National ▁Park ▁and ▁Ball ad onia ▁in ▁the ▁C ool g ard ie , ▁Ham pton , ▁M alle e ▁and ▁ ▁Null ar bor ▁P lain ▁bi oge ographic ▁regions . ▁It ▁grows ▁in ▁cl ay , ▁sand ▁and ▁lo amy ▁so ils ▁over ▁lim estone ▁on ▁fl ats ▁and ▁around ▁salt ▁la kes . ▁ ▁Conserv ation ▁This ▁species ▁is ▁common ▁throughout ▁its ▁range ▁and ▁is ▁class ified ▁as ▁" not ▁threatened " ▁by ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁Western ▁Australia ▁Department ▁of ▁Park s ▁and ▁Wild life . ▁ ▁Us es ▁ ▁H ort icult ure ▁Although