A small tree found in Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait Islands.

Pygmy Flowered Paperbark - Melaleuca acacioides - Photo by Bill Hinton

Compared with many Melaleuca species the flower spike is very short; it is more a globular head than a spike, hence the name acacioides, meaning "acacia-like".

The specimen we photographed was flourishing in some of the most arid country we encountered on our trip into the Cape. The tree was massed with blossoms, giving valuable nectar and shelter to birds and insects. The main flowering occurred during January at the height of the summer heat.

It is a delightful species and although we did not collect seed there is no reason to believe that they would not respond to cultivation any differently to other Melaleucas.