Eucalyptus astringens

Last updated

Brown mallet
Eucalyptus astringens habit.jpg
Eucalyptus astringens growing at Loxton, South Australia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. astringens
Binomial name
Eucalyptus astringens
(Maiden) Maiden [2]

Eucalyptus astringens, commonly known as brown mallet [3] or to Noongar people as mallat, woonert or wurnert, [4] is a tree that is endemic to the South West region of Western Australia. It has smooth, shiny bark on its trunk and branches, lance-shaped leaves, pendulous flower buds arranged in groups of seven, cream-coloured to pale lemon-coloured flowers and cup-shaped to bell-shaped or conical fruit. This tree has also been introduced to Victoria.

Contents

flower buds Eucalyptus astringens buds (2).jpg
flower buds
flowers Eucalyptus astringens flowers.jpg
flowers
fruit Eucalyptus astringens fruit (2).jpg
fruit
bark Eucalyptus astringens bark.jpg
bark

Description

The tree typically grows to a height of 1.5 to 15 metres (5 to 49 ft) and can get to 24 m (79 ft) tall. It has smooth grey-brown coloured bark that peels from the trunk and branches. It blooms from August to December and produces white cream to yellow flowers. [3] At breast height the trunk has a diameter of around 7 m (23 ft). It is drought tolerant and grows in areas with rainfall of 300 to 400 millimetres (11.8 to 15.7 in) per year. [5] The concolorous, glossy, green adult leaves have an alternate arrangement. The leaf blade has a lanceolate shape and are 6 to 14 centimetres (2 to 6 in) long and 1 to 3.5 centimetres (0.4 to 1.4 in) wide. The unbranched inflorescences have an axillary arrangement. Each inflorescence is seven-flowered with flattened peduncles around 3.4 cm (1.3 in) flattened. The buds are pedicellate with a stubby to elongated shape. The fruits that form later are pedicellate and cupular to campanulate. Each fruit is around 1.2 cm (0.5 in) with a diameter of around 1 cm (0.4 in). They each have a level to descending disc with three or four valves containing grey-black seeds with an ovoid to flattened-ovoid shape. [6]

Taxonomy

Brown mallet was first formally described in 1911 by Joseph Maiden who gave it the name Eucalyptus occidentalis var. astringens and published the description in the Journal of the Natural History and Science Society of Western Australia. [7] [8] In 1924, Maiden raised the variety to species status in his book A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus. [9] [10] The specific epithet (astringens) is a Latin word meaning "shrinking" or "binding". [11]

In 2002, Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper described two subspecies: [12]

Distribution

Brown mallet is commonly found on rocky outcrops, ridges, breakaways, hills and on valley floors in the southern Wheatbelt, Great Southern and south west Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia. It grows in red-brown gravelly clay, brown clayey sand, sandy loam, spongolite, laterite and sandstone based soils. [3]

It is commonly associated with E. wandoo making up the overstorey, especially when E. wandoo woodland is an adjacent community. Understorey species often include occasional Santalum acuminatum and Melaleuca scalena , and a sparse ground cover of common grasses and herbs such as Thysanotus patersonii, Trachymene pilosa, Pterostylis sanguineus, Austrostipa elegantissima, Austrodanthonia setacea group and Lomandra micrantha subsp. micrantha. [17]

E. astringens has become naturalised in Bacchus Marsh, north of Melbourne, in Victoria, where it had been used to stabilise soils. [6]

Uses

The wood from the tree is used for construction, mining timbers and for tool handles. It is also a good firewood. The bark contains around 40% tannin and could possibly be used for tanning leather and production of adhesives. [5] Around 8,000 hectares (19,768 acres) of the tree have been planted around Narrogin in plantations for timber production. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Eucalyptus viminalis, commonly known as the manna gum, white gum or ribbon gum, is a species of small to very tall tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has smooth bark, sometimes with rough bark near the base, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, white flowers and cup-shaped or hemispherical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus accedens, commonly known as smooth bark wandoo or powderbark wandoo is a species of tree endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Although the common names suggest it is similar to wandoo,, the two species are very different botanically. The bark of E. accedens has talc-like powder, at least on the protected side of the trunk and the tree usually grows on laterite in higher places.

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

Eucalyptus eremophila, commonly known as the sand mallet or tall sand mallee, is a species of mallet that is endemic to semi-arid regions of Western Australia. It has smooth pale brown and greyish bark, narrow lance-shaped to elliptical adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of between seven and eleven with an elongated operculum, and cup-shaped to barrel-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus erythrocorys, commonly known as illyarrie, red-capped gum or helmet nut gum, is a species of tree or mallee from Western Australia. It has smooth bark, sickle-shaped to curved adult leaves, characteristically large flower buds in groups of three with a bright red operculum, bright yellow to yellowish green flowers and sculptured, bell-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus platypus, also known as moort or maalok, is a species of mallee or marlock that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, broadly elliptical to more or less round adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine on a broad, flattened peduncle, usually creamy white flowers and conical, down-turned fruit.

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

Eucalyptus rudis, commonly known as flooded gum or moitch, is a species of small to medium-sized tree endemic to coastal areas near Perth, Western Australia. The Noongar names for the tree are colaille, gooloorto, koolert and moitch. This tree has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and large branches, smooth greyish bark above, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and bell-shaped, cup-shaped or hemispherical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus eudesmioides, commonly known as mallalie, desert gum or mallabie is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It is a rounded, bushy mallee with smooth bark, egg-shaped to heart-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs, club-shaped flower buds arranged in groups of three, whitish flowers and cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus globulus <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> maidenii</i> Subspecies of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii, commonly known as Maiden's gum, is a subspecies of tree that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It has mostly smooth bark with some persistent slabs of old bark at the base, juvenile leaves with one glaucous side, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of seven, white flowers and conical, pedicellate, sometimes glaucous fruit that is more or less square in cross-section

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

Eucalyptus salmonophloia, commonly known as salmon gum, wurak or weerluk, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and thirteen, creamy white flowers and hemispherical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus flocktoniae, commonly known as merrit, is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth, silvery grey bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, prominently beaked flower buds in groups of seven or nine and barrel-shaped or urn-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus wandoo, commonly known as wandoo, dooto, warrnt or wornt, is a small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine to seventeen, white flowers and conical to cylindrical fruit. It is one of a number of similar Eucalyptus species known as wandoo.

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

Eucalyptus loxophleba, commonly known as York gum, daarwet, goatta, twotta or yandee is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough bark on the trunk, smooth olive to brownish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flowers buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and conical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus capillosa, commonly known as wheatbelt wandoo, or mallee wandoo, is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth, grey bark, lance-shaped to elliptic adult leaves, spindle-shaped flower buds in groups of nine to thirteen, white flowers and barrel-shaped to cylindrical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus falcata, commonly known as silver mallet or toolyumuck, is a species of mallee or marlock that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven or thirteen, creamy white or yellowish green flowers and flattened spherical fruit.

<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.

Eucalyptus livida, commonly known as wandoo mallee, is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven or more, creamy white flowers and barrel-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus longicornis, commonly known as red morrel, morryl, poot or pu, is a species of large tree that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous, fissured bark on the trunk, smooth greyish bark above, flower buds in groups of seven or more, white flowers and shortened spherical fruit.

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 densa</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus densa is a species of mallee or mallet that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth greyish bark that is shed in curly strips, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, long, spindle-shaped flower buds in groups of seven or nine, pale yellow or lemon-coloured flowers and conical, cylindrical or barrel-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus clelandiorum, commonly known as Cleland's blackbutt is a species of mallet that is endemic to the South West region of Western Australia. It has hard, black, crumbly bark on the lower half of its trunk, smooth bark above, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of seven, nine or eleven, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.

References

  1. Fensham, R., Collingwood, T. & Laffineur, B. 2019. Eucalyptus astringens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T61906574A61906605. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T61906574A61906605.en. Downloaded on 20 September 2021.
  2. "Eucalyptus astringens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus astringens". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  4. "Noongar names for plants". kippleonline.net. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 "Brown mallet Eucalyptus astringens". Forest Products Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Eucalyptus astringens (Maiden) Maiden Brown Mallet". Vicflora. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
  7. "Eucalyptus occidentalis var. astringens". APNI. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  8. Maiden, Joseph (1911). "Notes on Western Australian eucalypts, including description of new species". Journal of the Natural History & Science Society of Western Australia. 3 (2): 186–187. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  9. "Eucalyptus astringens". APNI. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  10. Maiden, Joseph (1924). A critical revision of the genus Eucalyptus (Volume 7). Sydney: N.S.W. Government Printer. pp. 55–56. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  11. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 109.
  12. Brooker, M. Ian; Hopper, Stephen (2002). "Taxonomy of species deriving from the publication of Eucalyptus subseries Cornutae Benth. (Myrtaceae)". Nuytsia. 14 (3): 353. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  13. "Eucalyptus astringens subsp. astringens". APNI. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  14. 1 2 "Eucalyptus astringens". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  15. "Eucalyptus astringens subsp. redacta". APNI. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  16. "Eucalyptus astringens subsp. redacta". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  17. "Eucalyptus astringens (brown mallet) woodland". Wheatbelt woodlands. Retrieved 13 November 2016.