Narrow-leaved ironbark | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Eucalyptus |
Species: | E. crebra |
Binomial name | |
Eucalyptus crebra | |
Synonyms [2] | |
Synonyms
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Eucalyptus crebra, commonly known as the narrow-leaved ironbark, narrow-leaved red ironbark or simply ironbark, [3] and as muggago in the indigenous Dharawal language, [4] is a species of small to medium-sized tree endemic to eastern Australia. It has hard, rough "ironbark" from its trunk to small branches, linear to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, nine or eleven, white flowers and cup-shaped, barrel-shaped or hemispherical fruit. A variable species, it grows in woodland and forest from the Cape York Peninsula to near Sydney. It is an important source of nectar in the honey industry and its hard, strong timber is used in construction.
Eucalyptus crebra is a tree that typically grows to a height of 35 m (115 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has persistent thick, rough, deeply furrowed, greyish black "ironbark" from the base of its trunk to the small branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have linear to lance-shaped or curved leaves 50–120 mm (2.0–4.7 in) long and 6–17 mm (0.24–0.67 in) wide. Adult leaves are linear to lance-shaped, the same dull green to greyish colour on both sides, 55–180 mm (2.2–7.1 in) long and 7–27 mm (0.28–1.06 in) wide on a petiole 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven, nine or eleven, usually on a branching inflorescence on the ends of branchlets. Each group is carried on a peduncle 2–13 mm (0.079–0.512 in) long, the individual buds on a pedicel 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) long. Mature buds are club-shaped, spindle-shaped, or diamond-shaped to oval, 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide and green to yellow with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering has been recorded in most months and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped, barrel-shaped or hemispherical capsule 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) long and 2.5–6 mm (0.098–0.236 in) wide on a pedicel 1–6 mm (0.039–0.236 in) long. [3] [4] [5]
Eucalyptus crebra was first formally described in Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Botany by Victorian state botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1859. [6] [7] The specific epithet is the Latin adjective crebra meaning "thick", "close" or "numerous", [8] [9] referring to the species' abundance. [3]
Narrow-leaved ironbark has included several species, including E. drepanophylla and E. xanthoclada but these are regarded as synonyms by the Australian Plant Census. Eucalyptus repanophylla is accepted as a separate species by the Queensland Government. [2] [10] Other similar species include E. exilipes , E. granitica , E. staigeriana , E. quadricostata and E. whitei . [3]
The narrow-leaved ironbark grows in sandy soils in woodland and forest from Picton, southwest of Sydney, north through New South Wales and Queensland to the vicinity of Cairns. [3] [4] [9]
The tree has a hard, strong, and dark red timber, which has been used for sleepers and construction. [9] A plank has been recorded as being used for Elizabeth Farm, Australia's oldest surviving European dwelling. [11] It is used as a shade tree or to line roadways, and is also available as a cultivar. It is useful in honey production as the flowers are heavy in nectar and pollen; [9] the resulting honey produced by bees is light-coloured and delicately flavoured. [12]
Eucalyptus punctata, commonly known as grey gum, is a small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth grey bark that is shed in patches, lance-shaped, curved or egg-shaped adult leaves flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical or cup-shaped fruit. Its leaves are one of the favoured foods of the koala.
Eucalyptus fibrosa, commonly known as the red ironbark, broad-leaved red ironbark or broad-leaved red ironbark, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree endemic to eastern Australia. It has grey to black ironbark, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and conical fruit.
Eucalyptus melanophloia, commonly known as silver-leaved ironbark, is a species of tree that is endemic to northeastern Australia. It is a small to medium-sized tree with rough, hard ironbark on the trunk and branches. The crown is usually composed of juvenile leaves that are dull, glaucous, sessile and arranged in opposite pairs. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven, the flowers white and the fruit cup-shaped to hemispherical.
Eucalyptus nicholii, commonly known as the narrow-leaved black peppermint or willow peppermint, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to New South Wales. It has thick, rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, small, narrow adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of seven, white flowers and small, hemispherical, bell-shaped or conical fruit.
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 radiata, commonly known as the narrow-leaved peppermint or Forth River peppermint, is a species of tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous to flaky bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth grey bark on the thinner branches, lance-shaped to curved or almost linear leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven to twenty or more, white flowers and cup-shaped, hemispherical or shortened spherical fruit.
Eucalyptus viridis, commonly known as the green mallee, is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to south-eastern, continental Australia. It has rough fibrous or flaky bark on the lower trunk, smooth bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus moorei, commonly known as narrow-leaved sally, is a species of mallee that is endemic to New South Wales. It has smooth bark, linear to narrow lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and fifteen, white flowers and cup-shaped or shortened spherical fruit.
Eucalyptus eugenioides, commonly known as the thin-leaved stringybark or white stringybark, is a species of tree endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small to medium-sized tree with rough stringy bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, Flower buds in groups of between nine and fifteen, white flowers and hemispherical 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.
Eucalyptus tenella, commonly known as narrow-leaved stringybark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to New South Wales. It has stringy bark, narrow lance-shaped to linear leaves, flower buds in group of seven to fifteen, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus beyeriana, commonly known as Beyer's ironbark, is a small tree that is endemic to New South Wales. It has dark grey to black "ironbark", lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped to conical or shortened spherical fruit. Its name is disputed with some authors considering it to be a synonym of Eucalyptus beyeri.
Eucalyptus panda, commonly known as tumbledown ironbark or Yetman ironbark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has dark ironbark, linear to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped or hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus seeana, or narrow-leaved red gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus latens, commonly known as narrow-leaved red mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth grey and coppery bark, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven to eleven or more, creamy white flowers and small barrel-shaped to shortened spherical fruit.
Eucalyptus cullenii, commonly known as Cullen's ironbark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has thick, rough, deeply furrowed "ironbark", lance-shaped adult leaves, green to yellow flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus decorticans, commonly known as the gum-top ironbark, is a species of tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has rough, dark grey or black "ironbark" on the trunk and larger branches, smooth white bark on the thinner branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and conical, cup-shaped or barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus exilipes, commonly known as the fine-leaved ironbark, is a species of medium to tall tree and is endemic to Queensland. It has dark grey or black "ironbark", linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped to shortened spherical fruit. It is similar to E. crebra, differing only in the length of the pedicels.
Eucalyptus virens, commonly known as the shiny-leaved ironbark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has hard ironbark on the trunk and branches, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus elegans is a species of tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough bark throughout, linear to narrow lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of between three and seven, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.