Eucalyptus arborella

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Twertup mallee
Status DECF P3.svg
Priority Three — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. arborella
Binomial name
Eucalyptus arborella

Eucalyptus arborella, commonly known as Twertup mallet, [1] is a mallet or small tree that is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth greyish bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of thirteen to twenty fused together, yellowish green flowers, and fruits fused together in a woody mass.

Contents

Description

Eucalyptus arborella is a mallet that typically grows to a height of 5 metres (16 ft) and does not form a lignotuber. The bark is a whitish-grey colour, sometimes becoming a coppery-pink and smooth over the length of the tree. The leaves on young plants and on coppice regrowth are egg-shaped and up to 60 mm (2 in) long and 28 mm (1 in) wide. The adult leaves are elliptic to lance-shaped, the same glossy dark green on both sides, 60–80 mm (2–3 in) long and 12–19 mm (0.5–0.7 in) wide on a petiole 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) long. The flower buds are borne in groups of thirteen to twenty and are fused together in leaf axils on a flattened peduncle 12 to 35 mm (0.5 to 1.4 in) long. The cluster of buds is 45–65 mm (2–3 in) long at maturity with each bud is 7–12 mm (0.3–0.5 in) wide at the base of the operculum. The operculum is 38–50 mm (1–2 in) long, between five and eight times as long as the floral cup, and curved. Flowering occurs from March to May and the flowers are greenish. The fruit are fused in a woody mass 9–15 mm (0.4–0.6 in) wide on a down-turned peduncle. [1] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus arborella was first formally described in 2002 by Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper from a specimen collected near the Twertup field studies centre in the Fitzgerald River National Park. The description was published in the journal Nuytsia . [5] [6] The specific epithet (arborella) is derived from the Latin word arbor meaning "tree", with the diminutive suffix -ellus, hence "little tree". [7]

Eucalyptus arborella belongs in Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus section Bisectae subsection Hadrotes because of its coarsely bisected cotyledons, erect stamens and larger, thick rimmed fruits. The subsection Hadrotes contains ten species of which eight do not have oil glands in the branchlet pith. Together these eight species form series Lehmannianae, a group that have fruit with exserted valves that have fused tips even after the seeds are lost, a feature also shared with the distantly related Eucalyptus cornuta . [3]

Of the eight species in series Lehmannianae four species; E. conferruminata , E. lehmannii , E. mcquoidii and E. arborella all have the buds in each an axillary cluster that is fused basally. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The Twertup mallet grows in rocky places in the Fitzgerald River National Park and near Corackerup in the Esperance Plains biogeographic region. [1] [3]

Conservation

This eucalypt is classified as "Priority Three" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [1] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Eucalyptus conferruminata</i> Species of plant

Eucalyptus conferruminata, commonly known as Bald Island marlock or bushy yate, is a small tree or mallee endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth whitish and grey bark, elliptic to oblong or egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in fused in groups of between fifteen and twenty one, green to yellowish flowers and fruit forming a woody mass.

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

Eucalyptus lehmannii, commonly known as bushy yate, is a eucalypt in the myrtle family Myrtaceae endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small tree with an oval, spreading form and dense foliage which sometimes reaches to the ground. It is widely cultivated in Australia and the United States because of its ornamental shape and decorative flowers, buds and fruit. There has been some confusion about its classification because of its ability to hybridise.

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

Eucalyptus gardneri, commonly known as blue mallet, or woacal, is a species of mallet with flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, creamy yellow or pale lemon-coloured flowers and cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus georgei, commonly known as Hyden blue gum, is a species of tree or mallet that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves, glaucous flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and conical to cup-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus incerata, commonly known as Mount Day mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to southern Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds with a long, horn-shaped operculum and arranged in groups of seven, yellow flowers and barrel-shaped to cup-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus mimica is a species of mallet that is endemic to a small area of Western Australia. It has smooth, shiny bark, linear to narrow elliptical leaves held erect, flower buds in groups of three and conical fruit with ribbed sides.

Eucalyptus nigrifunda, commonly known as desert wandoo, is a species of tree that is endemic to a small area in central Western Australia. It has smooth reddish brown bark with some rough, flaky black bark near the base of the trunk, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine, white flowers and cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus nutans, commonly known as red-flowered moort, is a species of mallet that is endemic to a small area near the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, oblong to almost round adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, red or pinkish flowers and cup-shaped to conical fruit.

Eucalyptus olivina is a species of mallee or a tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth greyish bark, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, creamy white flowers and short barrel-shaped to cup-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus polita, also known as Parker Range mallet, is a species of mallet or small tree that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth, greyish bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus quadrans is a species of mallee or a small tree that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth, greyish bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit that are square in cross-section.

Eucalyptus tenuis is a species of slender mallet that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, creamy white flowers and conical, cup-shaped or bell-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus thamnoides, also known as brown mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to south western Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, cream-coloured to pale yellow flowers and cup-shaped, conical or bell-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus utilis, commonly known as coastal moort or coastal mort, is a species of mallet or mallee that is native to southern areas of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, egg-shaped to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in group or seven, creamy white flowers and conical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus captiosa is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, groups of three or seven, slightly ribbed flower buds arranged in leaf axils, pale yellow flowers and cup shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus diminuta, commonly known as the spring mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth, silvery to greyish bark, sometimes with rough flaky bark near the base, lance-shaped adult leaves, pendulous, elongated flower buds arranged in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to bell-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus sinuosa, commonly known as octopus mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, linear leaves, flower buds fused together in clusters of between eleven and twenty-five, greenish yellow flowers and fruit that are fused into a woody mass.

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

Eucalyptus mcquoidii, commonly known as the Quoin Head marlock, is a species of marlock, mallee or small tree that is endemic to a restricted area in Western Australia. It has smooth, greyish bark, glossy green, linear to narrow oblong adult leaves, flower buds in clusters of up to fifty that are fused at their bases, greenish flowers and fruit in spherical masses.

Eucalyptus brandiana is a mallet that is endemic to a small area in the Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia. It has smooth, shiny silvery bark, oblong to lance-shaped, glossy green adult leaves, single red flower buds in leaf axils, pink flowers and prominently winged fruit.

Eucalyptus rugulata is a species of mallet or tree that is endemic to a restricted area of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, ribbed flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and shortened spherical fruit.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eucalyptus arborella". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  2. "Eucalyptus arborella". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Eucalyptus arborella". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  4. Nicolle, Dean; French, Malcolm; McQuoid, Nathan (2008). "A revision of Eucalyptus ser. Cornutae subser. Conjunctae (Myrtaceae) from the south coast of Western Australia, including the description of four new taxa and comments on the hybrid origin of E. benettiae" (PDF). Nuytsia. 18: 206–207. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  5. "Eucalyptus arborella". APNI. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  6. Brooker, M. Ian; Hopper, Stephen D. (2002). "Taxonomy of species deriving from the publication of Eucalyptus subseries Cornutae (Myrtaceae)". Nuytsia. 14 (3): 336–338. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  7. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 136. ISBN   9780958034180.
  8. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 2 March 2019.