Eucalyptus cuprea

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Mallee box
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. cuprea
Binomial name
Eucalyptus cuprea

Eucalyptus cuprea, commonly known as the mallee box, [2] is a species of mallee that is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. It has rough, flaky bark on the base of its trunk, smooth coppery-coloured bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and conical to cup-shaped fruit.

Contents

Description

Eucalyptus cuprea is a mallee that typically grows to a height of 2.5–6 m (8 ft 2 in – 19 ft 8 in) and forms a lignotuber. It has rough flaky, box-style bark for up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) of the trunk, smooth copper-colour to pale orange-grey bark above. Young plants and coppice regrowth have egg-shaped, dull greyish green leaves that are 55–100 mm (2.2–3.9 in) long and 30–60 mm (1.2–2.4 in) wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same glossy green on both sides 80–135 mm (3.1–5.3 in) long and 12–20 mm (0.47–0.79 in) wide on a petiole 12–25 mm (0.47–0.98 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven on an unbranched peduncle 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long, the individual buds on a pedicel 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) long. Mature buds are oval to pear-shaped, about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide with a rounded operculum, usually with a small point on the tip. Flowering occurs between August and November and the flowers are white or creamy-white. The fruit is a woody conical to cup-shaped capsule 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide on a pedicel 1–5 mm (0.039–0.197 in) long with the valves deeply enclosed in the fruit. [2] [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus cuprea was first formally described in 1993 by Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper from a specimen collected by Brooker north of the Murchison River in 1984. [4] [5] The specific epithet (cuprea) is a Latin word meaning "coppery" [6] in reference to the seasonal colour of the smooth bark. [3] [4]

Eucalyptus cuprea belongs in Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus section Adnataria (also known as the boxes). Within the Adnataria section, E. cuprea is part of a subgroup, series Buxeales which are all found in south-eastern Australia, with only three occurring in Western Australia, those being E.cuprea , E. absita and E. lucasii . All three have inflexed stamens which separates them from the eastern species. [7]

Distribution and habitat

Mallee box is found in a small area in the Geraldton hills in the Mid West region of Western Australia where it grows in shallow sandy soils over granite. [2] It occurs in almost pure stands. [3]

Conservation status

Eucalyptus cuprea is classified as "endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 [8] and as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia). [2] An Interim Recovery Plan has been prepared. [9] The main threats to the species include farming activities such as grazing by sheep, weed invasion, land clearing, firebreak maintenance and inappropriate fire regimes. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Eucalyptus youngiana, commonly known as large-fruited mallee, Ooldea mallee and yarldarlba, is a species of mallee, less commonly a tree, that is native to arid and semi-arid areas of southern Western Australia and South Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on some or all of the trunk, smooth bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, red, pink or bright yellow flowers and short, broad, conical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus lansdowneana, commonly known as the crimson mallee or the red-flowered mallee box, is a species of slender stemmed, straggly mallee that is endemic to a restricted area of South Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark at the base, smooth, grey over creamy-white bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, crimson flowers and barrel-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus leptopoda, commonly known as the Tammin mallee or Merredin mallee, is a species of mallee or rarely a tree, that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth mottled grey or brownish bark, sometimes with rough bark near the base, linear to curved adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and hemispherical to flattened spherical fruit.

Eucalyptus dolorosa, commonly known as the Mount Misery mallee or Dandaragan mallee, is a species of eucalypt that is endemic to Western Australia. It is a mallee with a short skirt of rough flaky bark at the base of the trunk, smooth pale greyish brown above, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped to spherical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus foecunda, commonly known as narrow-leaved red mallee, Fremantle mallee or coastal dune mallee, is a species of plant in the myrtle family that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough bark on the trunk, smooth bark above, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine or eleven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped fruit. It was previously included with the more widespread Eucalyptus leptophylla.

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

Eucalyptus absita, commonly known as the Badgingarra box, is a mallee that is endemic to a small area near Badgingarra in Western Australia. It has smooth gray bark, sometimes fibrous near its base, white flowers and conical to cup-shaped fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> balanites</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus × balanites, commonly known as Cadda Road mallee, is a tree or a mallee that is endemic to a small area of the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, corky or flaky bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven, creamy-white flowers and hemispherical to cup-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus brevipes, commonly known as the Mukinbudin mallee, is a mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has coarse, fibrous to flaky back on the trunk and larger branches, smooth grey to pinkish bark above. The adult leaves are linear to narrow lance-shaped, the flower buds are arranged in groups of seven, the flowers are white and the fruit is cylindrical or barrel-shaped.

Eucalyptus gypsophila, also known as the kopi mallee, is a species of mallee that is native to Western Australia and South Australia. It has rough, flaky bark on the lower part of the trunk, smooth light grey bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds mostly in groups of between seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and conical to cylindrical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus johnsoniana, commonly known as Johnson's mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth, greyish brown bark, sometimes with flaky to fibrous brownish bark at the base, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and shortened spherical fruit with an unusually small opening.

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

Eucalyptus jucunda, commonly known as Yuna mallee, is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flowering buds in groups of seven or nine, white or cream-coloured flowers and barrel-shaped or shortened spherical fruit with an unusually narrow opening.

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

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.

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

Eucalyptus lucasii, commonly known as Barlee box, is a species of mallee that is endemic to central Western Australia. It has smooth bark, sometimes rough near the base, with broadly lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds mostly in groups of between seven and eleven on a branched peduncle, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical or conical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus myriadena, also known as blackbutt, is a species of mallee or tree that is native to Western Australia. It has rough, coarse flaky bark on part of the trunk, smooth bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and thirteen, white flowers and narrow cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit. It is widely distributed in the wheatbelt and goldfield areas of the state.

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

Eucalyptus platycorys, commonly known as Boorabbin mallee, is a species of mallee, rarely a small tree, that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough, dark grey, fibrous and flaky bark on the trunk, smooth greyish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in group of three, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus suberea, commonly known as Mount Lesueur mallee or cork mallee, is a species of mallee or a small tree that is endemic to a small area on the west coast of Western Australia. It has rough bark on some or all of the trunk, smooth white bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven to twenty or more, white flowers and shortened spherical 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 orthostemon, also known as diverse mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth coppery and greyish bark, linear adult leaves, oval to spindle-shaped buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and conical to cup-shaped fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus socialis <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> victoriensis</i> Subspecies of plant

Eucalyptus socialis subsp. victoriensis, commonly known as the red mallee, is a subspecies of mallee that is endemic to southern inland Australia. It usually has rough bark on the base of the trunk, smooth bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, pale creamy yellow flowers and barrel-shaped to urn-shaped or spherical fruit.

References

  1. ↑ "Eucalyptus cuprea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Eucalyptus cuprea". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus cuprea". Euclid. CSIRO . Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 Brooker, M. Ian; Hopper, Stephen D. (1993). "Eucalyptus cuprea". Nuytsia. 9 (1): 64–66. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  5. ↑ "Eucalyptus cuprea". APNI. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  6. ↑ Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 230.
  7. ↑ "Eucalyptus absita". Euclid. CSIRO publishing. Archived from the original on 16 April 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Conservation Advice - Eucalyptus cuprea (mallee box)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "Mallee Box (Eucalyptus cuprea) Interim Recovery Plan 1999-2002". Australian Government Department of the Environment. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
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