Eucalyptus approximans

Barren Mountain mallee
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	E. approximans
Binomial name
Eucalyptus approximans Maiden [2]

Eucalyptus approximans, commonly known as the Barren Mountain mallee, is a mallee endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It has smooth bark, linear to lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, club-shaped buds in groups of seven in the leaf axils, white flowers and cylindrical to cup-shaped fruit.

flower buds

fruit

habit on Barren Mountain

Description

Eucalyptus approximans is a slender mallee that sometimes grows to a height of 6 m (20 ft) and has smooth white or grey bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have shiny green, linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves 65–140 mm (3–6 in) long and 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) wide. They are a different shade of green on either side. Adult leaves are linear to lance-shaped or curved, 55–120 mm (2–5 in) long and 5–16 mm (0.2–0.6 in) wide on a petiole 4–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long. They are the same glossy green on both sides. The flower buds are usually arranged in groups of seven, the groups on a peduncle 4–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long and the individual flowers a pedicel 1–3 mm (0.04–0.1 in) long. The mature buds are club-shaped, 3–6 mm (0.1–0.2 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide with a rounded to flattened operculum. Flowering occurs between March and June and the flowers are white. The fruit is a cylindrical to cup-shaped capsule 5–8 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 6–9 mm (0.2–0.4 in) wide on a pedicel up to 4 mm (0.2 in) long. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus approximans was first formally described in 1919 by Joseph Maiden from a specimen collected on Barren Mountain by Henry Deane. The description was published in Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales . ^{[2] [7]} Maiden did not give a reason for using the specific epithet (approximans) but noted that the species is "close" to Eucalyptus stricta . ^{[5] [7]}

In 1973, Lawrie Johnson and Donald Blaxell reduced E. codonocarpa , which occurs in Queensland and New South Wales, to a subspecies as Eucalyptus approximans subsp. codonocarpa but the change has not been accepted by the Australian Plant Census. ^[8]

Distribution and habitat

Barren Mountain mallee is only known from Barren Mountain near Ebor where it grows in mallee shrubland in thin, nutrient-poor soils. ^{[3] [4]}

Conservation

This eucalypt is listed as "vulnerable" under the New South Wales Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 . The main threats to the species are inappropriate fire regimes and clearing for agriculture. ^[4]

References

1. Fensham, R.; Laffineur, B.; Collingwood, T. (2019). "Eucalyptus approximans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019 e.T133377834A133377836. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T133377834A133377836.en . Retrieved 20 September 2021.
2. "Eucalyptus approximans". APNI. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
3. Hill, Ken. "Eucalyptus approximans". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
4. "Barren Mountain Mallee - profile". New South Wales Government Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
5. "Eucalyptus approximans subsp. approximans". Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
6. Chippendale, George McCartney. "Eucalyptus approximans". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
7. Maiden, Joseph (1919). "Notes on Eucalyptus, No. VII, with descriptions of new species". Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 53: 65–68. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
8. "Eucalyptus codonocarpa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 March 2019.