Looks like the plant has an infestation of what is known as "soft" scale - a sap sucking pest which can disfigure leaves. It is usually found on both leaves and stems. Note that plants under some sort of stress are more prone to these pests particularly if they are growing in shade.
The recommended control these days is to use one of the "eco" oils or Pest Oil. Try one of those first after reading the manufacturers instructions. If that fails, I'd think about buying a systemic insecticide such as Confidor (spray or tablets) and giving that a go. Wouldn't hurt to give the plant a little fertilizer about now as well - something suitable for bottlebrushes.
Callistemons are tough little fellas - if all else fails cut it back hard, feed it and water it well with a seaweed solution to stimulate root growth as the weather warms up. Don't know which part of the world you are at but around Sydney its been a testing few months for a lot of plants - your bottlebrush sounds like it could have used some more sunshine but that'll be on the way soon enough and hopefully that will help it along.
pennyw74Original Author
tedhort
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pennyw74Original Author
tedhort
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pennyw74Original Author
funnelweb