Eucalyptus albens

White box
	Eucalyptus albens habit
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	E. albens
Binomial name
	Eucalyptus albens; Benth.
Synonyms
	Eucalyptus hemiphloia var. albens(Benth.) Maiden; Eucalyptus albensBenth. var. albens; Eucalyptus albensMiq.; Eucalyptus hemiphloia var. albensC.Moore & Betche; Eucalyptus albens var. elongataBlakely; Eucalyptus pallensDC.;

Last updated May 07, 2023

Eucalyptus albens, known as the white box,^[3] is a common tree of the western slopes and plains of New South Wales and adjacent areas in Queensland and Victoria. It has rough, fibrous bark on the base of its trunk and smooth, white bark above. The leaves are lance-shaped and groups of seven spindle-shaped flower buds are arranged in leaf axils or on the ends of the branches. White flowers are mostly present between August and February and the fruit are barrel-shaped to urn-shaped.

Description

Eucalyptus albens is a tree that grows to a height of 15–25 metres (49–82 ft) high with a straight trunk for about half its total height and a branched, spreading crown. Its trunk may reach 0.5 metres (1 ft 8 in) diameter at breast height and has rough, fibrous, pale grey, sometimes tessellated bark to the base of its larger branches. The bark higher up is smooth and white and is shed annually in short ribbons. The leaves on young plants are arranged alternately, egg-shaped to almost round, bluish grey, 90–150 mm (4–6 in) long, 60–115 mm (2–5 in) wide and have a petiole. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, dull greyish green and paler on one side, 100–160 mm (4–6 in) long and 17–30 mm (0.7–1 in) wide with a petiole 15–22 mm (0.6–0.9 in) long. The flower buds are arranged on a branching inflorescence, each branch with groups of seven buds. The peduncle is flattened or angular and 10–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long, each flower on a cylindrical pedicel up to 5 mm (0.2 in) long. The buds are spindle-shaped to more or less cylindrical, 10–18 mm (0.4–0.7 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide with the operculum cone-shaped and about as long as the floral cup. The flowers are white and appear in the autumn from March to May. The fruit are urn-shaped to barrel-shaped, 6–14 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long and 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide.^[4]^[3]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus albens was first formally described in 1867 George Bentham in Flora Australiensis , from material collected in several locations, including by botanist and explorer, Allan Cunningham, along the "Macquarrie river".^[9]^[10] In 2009, Anthony Bean selected the material collected by Charles Stuart in the New England district of New South Wales as the lectotype.^[11]^[12] This eucalypt is related to grey box ( E. moluccana ) and inland grey box ( E. microcarpa ).^[4] Hybridization with grey box has been reported in the Hunter Valley.^[3] The specific epithet (albens) is a Latin word meaning "whitening".^[13] Both the epithet and common names are derived from the white deposits over the leaves and gumnuts, while the epithet "box" comes from the box-like tessellated pattern in the bark.^[4]

The Wiradjuri people of New South Wales use the name birri for the species.^[14]

Distribution and habitat

The white box is a tree of grassy eucalypt woodlands on plains or gently sloping areas from south-east Queensland to the western slopes of New South Wales and north-eastern Victoria extending as far south as Yea. Isolated populations occur in the Flinders Ranges and near Melrose South Australia.^[6]

It is associated with inland grey box, fuzzy box ( E. conica ), yellow box ( E. melliodora ), Pilliga grey box ( E. pilligaensis ), red ironbark ( E. sideroxylon ), narrow-leaved ironbark ( E. crebra ), Blakely's red gum ( E. blakelyi ), apple species ( Angophora ), black cypress ( Callitris endlicheri ), white cypress ( Callitris glaucophylla ), kurrajong ( Brachychiton populneus ) and wattles ( Acacia ) species.^[4]

Conservation

Eucalyptus albens is a component of the "WhiteBox Yellow Box Blakelys' Red Gum Woodland" commonly referred to as "Box-Gum Woodland" that is classed as "critically endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as an "endangered ecological community" under the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 .^[15]^[16]^[17]

Uses

The heavy and hard wood is used for railway sleepers and fence posts. The flowers produce nectar for the honey industry.^[5]^[4]

Related Research Articles

Eucalyptus melliodora, commonly known as yellow box, honey box or yellow ironbark, is a species of medium-sized to occasionally tall tree that is endemic to south-eastern, continental Australia. It has rough, flaky or fibrous bark on part or all of the trunk, smooth greyish to yellowish bark above. The adult leaves are lance-shaped to egg-shaped, the flower buds are arranged in groups of seven and the fruit is more or less hemispherical.

Eucalyptus microcarpa, commonly known as grey box, is a species of tree that is endemic to southeastern continental Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk, smooth whitish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and oval, cylindrical or urn-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus michaeliana, commonly known as Hillgrove gum or brittle gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth mottled greyish bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in compound umbels, white flowers and cup-shaped or barrel-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus blakelyi, known as Blakely's red gum, is a tree endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth bark on its trunk and branches, dull bluish green, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus parramattensis, commonly known as the Parramatta red gum or drooping red gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern New South Wales. It has smooth, mottled bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus racemosa, commonly known as snappy gum or narrow-leaved scribbly gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth, mottled bark, lance-shaped to curved or egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and fifteen, white flowers and cup-shaped, conical or hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus dawsonii, known as slaty gum or slaty box, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It has smooth, white, grey or yellow bark, sometimes with a short stocking of rough, flaky bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven on a branching inflorescence, white flowers and conical to barrel-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus amplifolia, commonly known as the cabbage gum, is a tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth bark on its trunk and branches, lance-shaped leaves, and buds in groups of between seven and fifteen or more. The flowers are white and the fruit are woody hemispherical capsules. It is common on the coastal areas and tablelands of New South Wales and adjacent areas in south eastern Queensland, occurring as far south as Bega.

Eucalyptus badjensis, commonly known as the Big Badja gum, is a tree that is endemic to south-eastern New South Wales. It has hard, rough bark on the lower part of the trunk, smooth grey bark above, often hanging in strips on the upper branches, linear to narrow lance-shaped, often curved adult leaves, green to yellow buds in groups of three in leaf axils, white flowers and conical or bell-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus kartzoffiana, commonly known as the Araluen gum, is a species of medium-sized tree that is endemic to a small area of southeastern New South Wales. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on part or most of its trunk, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and sessile, bell-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus benthamii, commonly known as Camden white gum, Bentham's gum, Nepean River gum, kayer-ro or durrum-by-ang, is a species of tree that is endemic to New South Wales. It has mostly smooth bluish grey or white bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped, bell-shaped or conical fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus bridgesiana</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus bridgesiana, commonly known as apple box, apple, apple gum or but-but, is a medium to large sized tree. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth grey bark above, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus subcrenulata, commonly known as Tasmanian alpine yellow gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to the highlands of Tasmania. It has smooth bark, glossy green, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and hemispherical to bell-shaped fruit. It is similar to E. johnstonii, E. vernicosa and E. urnigera.

Eucalyptus chloroclada, commonly known as Baradine gum, red gum or dirty gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It usually has fibrous to flaky bark on the trunk and smooth bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus glaucina, commonly known as the slaty red gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree endemic to New South Wales. It has smooth, white and grey bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit with the valves protruding well above the level of the rim.

Eucalyptus intertexta, commonly known as inland red box, western red box, gum coolibah or the bastard coolibah, is a species of tree that is endemic to central Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the base of the trunk, smooth white to brownish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven on the ends of branchlets, white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus major, commonly known as grey gum, is a species of tree that is endemic to a small area near the New South Wales - Queensland border. It has smooth greyish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven and conical to cup-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus albida, commonly known as the white-leaved mallee, is a mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth white or greyish brown bark, lance shaped adult leaves, and flowers in groups of between seven and eleven. The flowers are creamy white and the fruit are hemispherical to cone-shaped. The juvenile leaves that are often retained on mature plants are arranged in opposite pairs, egg-shaped to heart-shaped and bluish grey.

Corymbia erythrophloia, commonly known as red bloodwood, variable-barked bloodwood, red-barked bloodwood or gum-topped bloodwood, is a species of tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has rough bark on the trunk and branches, egg-shaped or lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and urn-shaped to spherical fruit.

Corymbia gilbertensis, commonly known as Gilbert River ghost gum or Gilbert River box, is a species of tree that is endemic to tropical far north Queensland. It has rough, tessellated bark on the lower part of the trunk, smooth bark above, a crown of juvenile, intermediate and adult leaves, flower buds mostly in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit.

References

↑ Fensham, R., Laffineur, B. & Collingwood, T. 2019. Eucalyptus albens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T133377688A133377690. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T133377688A133377690.en. Downloaded on 20 September 2021.
1 2 "Eucalyptus albens". APNI. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
1 2 3 Hill, Ken (July 2001). "Eucalyptus albens – New South Wales Flora Online". PlantNET – The Plant Information Network System. 2.0. Sydney, Australia: The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
1 2 3 4 5 Boland, Douglas J.; Brooker, M. Ian H.; Chippendale, G. M.; McDonald, Maurice W. (2006). Forest trees of Australia. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. p. 464. ISBN 0-643-06969-0.
1 2 "Eucalyptus albens". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
1 2 "Eucalyptus albens". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
↑ Brooker, M. Ian; Slee, Andrew V. "Eucalyptus albens". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
↑ Chippendale, George McCartney; George, Alex S. (ed.) (1988). Flora of Australia Volume 19. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. pp. 394–396.{{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)
↑ "Eucalyptus albens". APNI. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
↑ Bentham, George; von Mueller, Ferdinand (1867). Flora Australiensis. Vol. 3. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. p. 219. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
↑ "Eucalyptus albens". APNI. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
↑ Bean, Anthony R. (2009). "axonomic and nomenclatural notes on the Eastern grey boxes (Eucalyptus ser. Moluccanae Chippendale, Myrtaceae) and the reinstatement of Eucalyptus woollsiana R.T.Baker". Austrobaileya. 8 (1): 30. JSTOR 41739103 . Retrieved 14 March 2021.
↑ Lewis, Charlton T. (1890). An Elementary Latin Dictionary. New York: American Book Company. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
↑ Williams, Alice; Sides, Tim, eds. (2008). Wiradjuri Plant Use in the Murrumbidgee Catchment. Murrumbidgee Catchment Management Authority. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-7347-5856-9.
↑ "White Box Yellow Box Blakely's Red Gum Woodland – profile". New South Wales Government Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
↑ "White Box – Yellow Box – Blakely's Red Gum Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands listing advice and conservation advice" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
↑ "White Box-Yellow Box- Blakely's Red Gum (Box-Gum) woodland fact-sheet" (PDF). New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 20 February 2019.