▁compact ▁shr ub ▁with ▁hard ▁b ark , ▁soft ▁fol i age ▁and ▁prof use ▁sp ikes ▁of ▁bott le br ush ▁flowers ▁in ▁spring ▁and ▁summer . ▁ ▁Description ▁Mel ale uca ▁p ear son ii ▁is ▁a ▁shr ub ▁growing ▁to ▁ ▁high ▁and ▁wide , ▁with ▁hard , ▁f ibr ous ▁b ark . ▁Its ▁leaves ▁are ▁arranged ▁altern ately ▁and ▁are ▁ ▁long , ▁ ▁wide , ▁flat , ▁linear ▁to ▁narrow ▁egg - sh aped ▁with ▁the ▁nar ro wer ▁end ▁towards ▁the ▁base . ▁The ▁leaf ▁ve ins ▁are ▁ind ist inct ▁but ▁there ▁are ▁many ▁distinct ▁oil ▁g lands . ▁ ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁red , ▁t ipped ▁with ▁yellow ▁and ▁are ▁arranged ▁in ▁short ▁sp ikes ▁on ▁the ▁ends ▁of ▁branches ▁which ▁continue ▁to ▁grow ▁after ▁flow ering ▁and ▁also ▁on ▁the ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁branches . ▁The ▁sp ikes ▁are ▁ ▁in ▁diameter ▁with ▁ 2 0 ▁to ▁ 4 0 ▁individual ▁flowers . ▁The ▁pet als ▁are ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁fall ▁off ▁as ▁the ▁flower ▁ages ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁ 2 5 - 3 9 ▁stam ens ▁in ▁each ▁flower . ▁Flow ering ▁occurs ▁mainly ▁in ▁spring ▁and ▁is ▁followed ▁by ▁fruit ▁which ▁are ▁wo ody ▁caps ules , ▁ ▁long . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁and ▁naming ▁Mel ale uca ▁p ear son ii ▁was ▁first ▁named ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁by ▁Ly nd ley ▁Cra ven ▁in ▁Nov on ▁when ▁Call ist emon ▁p ear son ii ▁was ▁moved ▁to