Katherine box | |
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Eucalyptus distans growing near Katherine | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Eucalyptus |
Species: | E. distans |
Binomial name | |
Eucalyptus distans | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Eucalyptus epruinata L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill |
Eucalyptus distans, commonly known as the Katherine box, [2] is a species of small tree that is endemic to northern parts of Australia. It has rough, fibrous grey bark, dull, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical or conical fruit.
Eucalyptus distans is a tree that typically grows to a height of 7–9 m (23–30 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, fibrous, finely fissured grey bark with white patches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have narrow lance-shaped leaves 110–114 mm (4.3–4.5 in) long and 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) wide. Adult leaves are the same dull, light green to grey-green colour on both sides, lance-shaped to curved, 55–150 mm (2.2–5.9 in) long and 12–26 mm (0.47–1.02 in) wide on a petiole 5–23 mm (0.20–0.91 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven on a thin, branched peduncle 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) long, the individual buds on a pedicel up to 6 mm (0.24 in) long. Mature buds are cylindrical to oval, 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long and about 3 mm (0.12 in) wide with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering occurs between March and April and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped to hemispherical or conical capsule 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and wide on a pedicel up to 6 mm (0.24 in) long. The valves extend well beyond the rim and the seeds are blackish brown. [3] [4] [5]
Eucalyptus distans was first formally described in 1980 by Ian Brooker, Douglas Boland and David Kleinig from samples gathered near Katherine Gorge by Clyde Dunlop in 1977 and the description was published in Australian Forest Research. [6] [7] Eucalyptus epruinata was described in 2000 by Ken Hill and Lawrie Johnson in the journal Telopea from specimens collected in Queensland but the name is listed as a synonym by the Australian Plant Census. [8] The specific epithet (distans) is a Latin word meaning "remote", "far apart" or "distant" [9] indicating that this species is separated from the similar E. microtheca . [3]
Katherine box grows on low stony ridges. There are scattered populations through the Northern Territory between Katherine and Gove with disjunct populations near Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia and near Croydon in Queensland. [2] [3] [5]
Eucalyptus distans is classified as "Priority One" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, [2] meaning that it is known from only one or a few locations which are potentially at risk. [10]
Eucalyptus zopherophloia, commonly known as the blackbutt mallee, is a species of spreading mallee that is endemic to an area on the west coast of Western Australia. It has rough bark over part or all of the trunk, smooth grey bark above, narrow lance-shaped leaves, flower buds in groups of nine or eleven, creamy white flowers and conical fruit.
Eucalyptus pyriformis, commonly known as pear-fruited mallee or Dowerin rose, is a species of low, straggly mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth greyish brown bark sometimes with ribbony bark near the base, egg-shaped to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, red, pinkish or creamy white flowers and down-turned, conical fruit with prominent ribs.
Eucalyptus leucoxylon, commonly known as yellow gum, blue gum or white ironbark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has smooth yellowish bark with some rough bark near the base, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three and cylindrical, barrel-shaped or shortened spherical fruit. A widely cultivated species, it has white, red or pink flowers.
Eucalyptus fusiformis, commonly known as the grey ironbark or Nambucca ironbark is a tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has thick, blackish, "ironbark" on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and conical to pear-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus argillacea, commonly known as Mount House box, or northern grey box is a tree that is endemic to northern Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and conical fruit.
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 calyerup is a tree that is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the lower part of the trunk, smooth bark above, elliptic to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy-yellow flowers and conical to bell-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus famelica is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth grey and pale brown bark, sometimes with thin, rough, fibrous bark near the base of the trunk on larger plants. The adult leaves are lance-shaped, the flower buds are arranged in groups of seven, the flowers are creamy white and the fruit is cup-shaped to cylindrical.
Eucalyptus griffithsii, commonly known as Griffith's grey gum, is a species of mallee or tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth grey to whitish bark, sometimes with rough, loose fibrous bark near the base of the trunk, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and conical to cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus hebetifolia is a species of mallee that is endemic to southern Western Australia. It has smooth grey and brownish bark with loose ribbons of bark near the base, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of up to thirteen, creamy white flowers and conical to barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus lucens, commonly known as the shiny-leaved mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to northwestern Australia. It has small, pale greyish to brown bark, glistening, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven on a branching peduncle, creamy white flowers and conical fruit.
Eucalyptus petraea, commonly known as granite rock box, is a species of mallee or a small tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has thin, ribbony or flaky to fibrous bark on the lower trunk, smooth greyish above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and conical fruit.
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.
Eucalyptus semota, commonly known as marymia mallee, is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to a small area in central Western Australia. It has rough, flaky to fibrous bark on the trunk, smooth grey or brown bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and conical to cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus tectifica, commonly known as Darwin box, or grey box, is a species of tree that is endemic to northern Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and conical, cup-shaped or barrel-shaped fruit.
Corymbia collina, commonly known as the silver-leaved bloodwood, is a species of tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has thin patchy rough bark on some or all of the trunk, smooth white to pale grey bark above, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus chlorophylla, commonly known as green-leaf box, northern glossy-leaved box or glossy-leaved box, is a species of eucalypt that is endemic to northern Australia. It is a tree or mallee, with hard, rough bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and usually conical fruit.
Eucalyptus costuligera is a species of small tree that is endemic to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It has short-fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk and branches, bluish, lance-shaped adult leaves, club-shaped flower buds in branched or unbranched inflorescences with the buds in groups of up to seven, creamy-white flowers and conical, cup-shaped or pear-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus delicata is a species of tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous to scaly bark on the trunk, smooth white to greyish bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and more or less spherical to barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus distuberosa is a species of mallet that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth dark grey to tan-coloured or creamy white bark, glossy dark green, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped to conical fruit.