▁altern ately , ▁ ▁long , ▁ ▁wide , ▁linear ▁to ▁narrow ▁o val ▁in ▁shape , ▁the ▁end ▁either ▁round ▁or ▁with ▁a ▁short ▁point . ▁ ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁a ▁sh ade ▁of ▁p ink ▁or ▁pur ple . ▁They ▁are ▁arranged ▁in ▁heads ▁near ▁the ▁ends ▁of ▁branches ▁which ▁continue ▁to ▁grow ▁after ▁flow ering ▁and ▁also ▁in ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁upper ▁leaf ▁ax ils . ▁The ▁flower ▁bud s ▁are ▁covered ▁with ▁brown ▁b ract s . ▁The ▁b ract s , ▁flower ▁bases ▁( h yp anth ia ) ▁and ▁sep als ▁are ▁all ▁covered ▁with ▁white ▁fl uff . ▁Each ▁head ▁contains ▁up ▁to ▁ 5 ▁groups ▁of ▁flowers ▁in ▁th rees ▁and ▁is ▁up ▁to ▁ ▁in ▁diameter . ▁The ▁stam ens , ▁which ▁give ▁the ▁flowers ▁their ▁colour , ▁are ▁arranged ▁in ▁ 5 ▁bund les ▁around ▁the ▁flower , ▁with ▁ 5 ▁to ▁ 8 ▁stam ens ▁in ▁each ▁bundle . ▁The ▁flowers ▁mainly ▁appear ▁from ▁September ▁to ▁December ▁and ▁are ▁followed ▁by ▁fruit ▁which ▁are ▁wo ody ▁caps ules ▁ ▁long ▁in ▁clusters ▁around ▁the ▁stem . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁and ▁naming ▁Mel ale uca ▁pl ume a ▁was ▁first ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁by ▁Ly nd ley ▁Cra ven ▁in ▁a ▁review ▁of ▁the ▁genus . ▁The ▁specific ▁ep ith et ▁( pl ume a ) ▁is ▁from ▁the ▁Latin ▁pl ume us ▁meaning ▁" down y " ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁w ool ly ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁flowers .