. ▁ ▁Description ▁Mel ale uca ▁g n id io ides ▁is ▁shr ub ▁growing ▁to ▁a ▁height ▁of ▁ ▁with ▁thin , ▁grey ▁b ark . ▁The ▁st ems ▁and ▁leaves ▁are ▁gl ab r ous ▁except ▁when ▁very ▁young . ▁The ▁leaves ▁are ▁ ▁long , ▁ ▁wide , ▁le ath ery ▁and ▁narrow ▁elli ptic ▁in ▁shape ▁with ▁the ▁end ▁tap ering ▁to ▁a ▁point . ▁There ▁are ▁ 5 ▁to ▁ 7 ▁parallel ▁ve ins ▁on ▁the ▁leaf . ▁ ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁in ▁roughly ▁spher ical ▁heads ▁on ▁the ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁branches ▁which ▁continue ▁to ▁grow ▁after ▁flow ering . ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁white ▁at ▁first ▁but ▁turn ▁p ink ▁as ▁they ▁age . ▁The ▁stam ens ▁are ▁arranged ▁in ▁bund les ▁around ▁the ▁flower ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁ 4 ▁to ▁ 9 ▁stam ens ▁per ▁bundle . ▁Flow ering ▁occurs ▁throughout ▁the ▁year ▁but ▁mainly ▁in ▁summer . ▁The ▁fruit ▁are ▁wo ody ▁caps ules ▁ ▁long . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁and ▁naming ▁Mel ale uca ▁g n id io ides ▁was ▁first ▁formally ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁by ▁Ad ol phe - Th é odore ▁Br ong ni art ▁and ▁Jean ▁Antoine ▁Arthur ▁Gr is ▁in ▁Ann ales ▁des ▁Sciences ▁Nature lles , ▁Botan ique . ▁The ▁specific ▁ep ith et ▁( gn idi odes ) ▁is ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁similarity ▁of ▁this ▁species ▁to ▁a ▁plant ▁in ▁the ▁genus ▁G n idia ▁in ▁the ▁family ▁Th ym ela e aceae