Spearwood mallee | |
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Eucalyptus doratoxylon in the Stirling Range National Park | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Eucalyptus |
Species: | E. doratoxylon |
Binomial name | |
Eucalyptus doratoxylon | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Eucalyptus doratoxylon, commonly known as the spearwood mallee, [2] spearwood [3] or geitch-gmunt in Noongar language [4] [5] [6] is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth, powdery white bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves mostly arranged in opposite pairs, flower buds in groups of seven, white to pale yellow flowers and pendulous, more or less spherical fruit.
Eucalyptus doratoxylon is a mallee, rarely a small tree, that typically grows to a height of 1.4–6 m (4 ft 7 in–19 ft 8 in) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth, powdery white over reddish or greenish bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have narrow elliptic to narrow lance-shaped leaves that are arranged in opposite pairs, 40–80 mm (1.6–3.1 in) long and 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) wide. Adult leaves are also usually arranged in opposite pairs, glossy green, 42–95 mm (1.7–3.7 in) long and 5–16 mm (0.20–0.63 in) wide on a petiole 2–12 mm (0.079–0.472 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils on an unbranched peduncle 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) long, the individual buds on a pedicel 3–10 mm (0.12–0.39 in) long. Mature buds are pear-shaped to oval, creamy white, 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide with a beaked operculum. Flowering occurs between August and March and the flowers are white to pale yellow. The fruit is a pendulous, woody, more or less spherical capsule 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) wide with the valves near rim level. [3] [7] [2]
Eucalyptus doratoxylon was first formally described in 1860 by the botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from samples collected by George Maxwell in the Kojoneerup district. [8] [9] The specific epithet is (doratoxylon) is derived from the Ancient Greek words dory, doratos meaning "spear" and xylon meaning "wood", possibly in reference to the use of the stems for spears. [3] [10]
Spearwood mallee grows in sandy loam or white-grey sandy soils in heath and open forest on hills and around granite outcrops along the south coast in the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee biogeographic regions of Western Australia. [7] [2]
Eucalyptus doratoxylon is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife [2]
Noongars used the branches to make spears: the bends in the branch were straightened over fire and the tips were sharpened using a chert flake. [5] [11]
As with all other Eucalypts in the south-western region of Western Australia, the leaves of this species were crushed to make antibacterial poultices for wounds. They were also crushed and steamed to relieve nasal congestion. The gum was used after grinding, to make an ointment for sores, and also taken orally as a treatment for dysentery. [5]
Eucalyptus microcorys, commonly known as tallowwood, is a species of medium to tall tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous or string bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white to lemon-yellow flowers and conical fruit. It grows in forests near the coast of Queensland and New South Wales.
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.
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.
Eucalyptus forrestiana, commonly known as fuchsia gum or fuchsia mallee, is a species of small tree or mallet and is endemic to an area near Esperance, Western Australia. It has smooth grey bark, narrow oblong to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds that are square in cross-section, red at maturity and arranged singly in leaf axils, yellow flowers and four-angled, winged fruit.
Eucalyptus pleurocarpa, commonly known as tallerack, talyerock or tallerack is a species of mallee that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, broadly lance-shaped to elliptical, grey or glaucous leaves that are arranged more or less in opposite pairs, flower buds in groups of seven, whitish flowers and glaucous, barrel-shaped fruit. It is easily recognised in the field by its form, large, white, waxy leaves and, when in flower, its stamens clustered in four groups.
Eucalyptus cloeziana, commonly known as Gympie messmate or dead finish, is a species of tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has rough, flaky to fibrous bark on its trunk, smooth bark above, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves that are much paler on the lower side, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus youngiana, commonly known as large-fruited mallee, Ooldea mallee and yarldarlba, is a species of mallee, less commonly a tree, that in 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.
Eucalyptus megacarpa, commonly known by its Noongar name of bullich, is a species of robust mallee or small to medium-sized tree with a scattered distribution in the forests of the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth bark throughout, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and cup-shaped, bell-shaped or hemispherical fruit.
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.
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.
Eucalyptus luehmanniana, commonly known as the yellow top mallee ash, is a species of mallee that is endemic to a small area in New South Wales. It has smooth white bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven or more, white flowers and cup-shaped, urn-shaped or barrel-shaped fruit. It has a restricted distribution on poor, rocky soils near Sydney.
Eucalyptus planchoniana, commonly known as the needlebark stringybark or bastard tallowwood is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has rough, stringy bark on the trunk and larger branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped, cylindrical or barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus cooperiana, commonly known as the many-flowered mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to an area along the south coast of Western Australia. It is described as being "of striking appearance by reason of its smooth, white bark and acutely angled branchlets". It has lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and thirteen or more, creamy yellow flowers and urn-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus gamophylla, commonly known as warilu, blue-leaved mallee, twin-leaf mallee, twin-leaved mallee or blue mallee, is a species of mallee that is native to Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It usually has smooth bark, mostly only juvenile leaves arranged in opposite pairs, flower buds in groups of three, whitish flowers and cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit that is four-sided in cross-section.
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 oldfieldii, commonly known as Oldfield's mallee, is a species of mallee or tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has a sprawling or spreading habit, mostly smooth greyish or brownish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and conical, cup-shaped or hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus rameliana, commonly known as Ramel's mallee, is a species of low growing mallee that is endemic to desert areas of central Western Australia. It has smooth bark, broadly lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged singly in leaf axils, pale yellow flowers and flattened, pyramid-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus buprestium, also known as the apple mallee or ball-fruited mallee, is a small mallee that is endemic to an area along the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of between nine and fifteen, white flowers and almost spherical fruit with a small opening.
Eucalyptus decurva, commonly known as the slender mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth whitish bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, pendulous flower buds arranged in groups of seven, white flowers and pendulous, more or less spherical fruit.
Pimelea aeruginosa is a species of small shrub in the family Thymelaeaceae. It is a small shrub with yellow flowers and is endemic to Western Australia.