Melaleuca striata is a spreading shrub usually no more than 1 m (3 ft) tall with papery grey or white bark.
The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, mostly 6–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long, 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) wide, linear to narrow elliptic in shape, and with three prominent, parallel longitudinal veins.

The flowers are a shade of pink or mauve, and arranged in heads at the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering and sometimes also in the upper leaf axils.
The heads are up to 17 mm (0.7 in) in diameter, 40 mm (2 in) long  and contain up to four groups of flowers in threes.
The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle with 7 to 13 stamens.
Flowering occurs from August to February but mainly in early summer.
The fruit which follow are woody capsules 3.5–4 mm (0.14–0.16 in) long in oval  or oblong clusters up to 10 mm (0.4 in) in diameter and 25 mm (1 in) long.
Melaleuca striata is a spreading shrub usually no more than 1 m (3 ft) tall with papery grey or white bark. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, mostly 6–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long, 1–1.5 mm (0.04–0.06 in) wide, linear to narrow elliptic in shape, and with three prominent, parallel longitudinal veins.
The flowers are a shade of pink or mauve, and arranged in heads at the ends of branches which continue to grow after flowering and sometimes also in the upper leaf axils. The heads are up to 17 mm (0.7 in) in diameter, 40 mm (2 in) long  and contain up to four groups of flowers in threes. The stamens are arranged in five bundles around the flower, each bundle with 7 to 13 stamens. Flowering occurs from August to February but mainly in early summer. The fruit which follow are woody capsules 3.5–4 mm (0.14–0.16 in) long in oval  or oblong clusters up to 10 mm (0.4 in) in diameter and 25 mm (1 in) long.
Melaleuca striata