Red-flowered mallee | |
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Eucalyptus erythronema flowers and foliage | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Eucalyptus |
Species: | E. erythronema |
Binomial name | |
Eucalyptus erythronema | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Eucalyptus conoidea Benth. Eucalyptus conoideaBenth. var. conoidea Contents |
Eucalyptus erythronema, commonly known as the red-flowered mallee, [2] is a species of mallee or tree and is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth, dark pink to red bark that is shed to reveal whitish bark, and has lance-shaped adult leaves, pendulous flower buds mostly arranged in groups of three, red or yellow flowers and conical fruit.
Eucalyptus erythronema is a mallee or tree that typically grows to a height of 2–6 m (6 ft 7 in–19 ft 8 in) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth, pinkish brown to dark red bark that is shed to reveal powdery, creamy white new bark. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same shade of green or olive green on both sides, lance-shaped, mostly 50–80 mm (2.0–3.1 in) long and 7–15 mm (0.28–0.59 in) wide on a slightly flattened petiole 5–13 mm (0.20–0.51 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of three, sometimes seven, on a thin, unbranched, down-turned peduncle, 10–27 mm (0.39–1.06 in) long, the individual buds on a pedicel 10–18 mm (0.39–0.71 in) long. Mature buds are broadly spindle-shaped, 9–23 mm (0.35–0.91 in) long and 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) wide with a conical to beaked operculum. Flowering occurs between July or October to December, or from January to February and the flowers are red, pink or creamy white. The fruit is a woody, pendulous, conical capsule, 6–14 mm (0.24–0.55 in) long and 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) wide with the valves close to rim level. [3] [4]
Eucalyptus erythronema first formally described in 1852 by the botanist Nikolai Turczaninow in the journal Bulletin de la Classe Physico-Mathématique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg from a specimen collected by James Drummond. [5] [6]
In 2012, Dean Nicolle and Malcolm French described two subspecies and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census: [7]
Subspecies erythronema has waxy branchlets and usually red flowers; subspecies inornata has branchlets that are not waxy, and has pale creamy yellow flowers. [7]
The specific epithet (erythronema) is derived from the ancient Greek words erythros meaning "red" and nema meaning "a thread", referring to the red stamens. [3] [12]
Red-flowered mallee is found in the southern Wheatbelt region of Western Australia where it grows in shrubland and open woodland in sandy-clay soils with lateritic gravel. [2] It is found from near Wongan Hills to near Corrigin and as far east as Southern Cross. [2] [4]
This eucalypt is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [2]
It has a moderate growth rate and grows well in full sun. It is sold commercially in seed form or as tube stock and is used for ornamental plantings, honey production, products rich in tannin and as a screening plant. It germinates easily and is drought resistant. [13]
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 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.
Eucalyptus socialis, commonly known as the red mallee, or grey mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to inland Australia.
Eucalyptus calycogona, commonly known as the gooseberry mallee or square fruited mallee, is a mallee that is endemic to southern Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds that are square in cross-section arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils, creamy white, sometimes pink flowers, and fruit that are square in cross-section.
Eucalyptus goniantha, commonly known as Jerdacuttup mallee, is a species of mallee, or rarely a tree, that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and more or less ribbed, hemispherical fruit.
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.
Eucalyptus insularis, commonly known as Twin Peak Island mallee, or North Twin Peak Island mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to a small area of southern Western Australia. It has mostly smooth bark, dull green, linear adult leaves, flower buds in group of between nine and twenty or more, white flowers and barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus kessellii, commonly known as Jerdacuttup mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to an area along the south coast of Western Australia. It has very hard, rough bark on the trunk of larger specimens, smooth greyish and brownish bark above, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, creamy white flowers and downturned, conical to cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus ligulata, commonly known as Lucky Bay mallee, is a mallee that is native to a few small areas along the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark on the trunk and branches, narrow lance-shaped leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and thirteen, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped or barrel-shaped fruit with shallow ribs on the sides.
Eucalyptus mannensis, commonly known as Mann Range mallee, is a species of mallee that is native to Western Australia, South Australian and the Northern Territory. It has rough bark at the base of the trunk, smooth bark above, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus phenax, commonly known as green dumosa mallee or white mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to southern Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical fruit.
Eucalyptus sargentii, commonly known as Salt River gum, is a species of mallet, mallee or small tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough bark on part or all of the trunk, smooth bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, whitish to creamy yellow flowers and conical fruit.
Eucalyptus suggrandis is a species of mallee that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth, shiny bark, linear to elliptical leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to conical fruit.
Eucalyptus vegrandis, commonly known as the Ongerup mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, linear to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped or conical fruit.
Eucalyptus xanthonema, commonly known as yellow-flowered mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, linear adult leaves, flower buds in groups of up to eleven, white to pale lemon-coloured flowers and barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus celastroides, commonly known by the Noongar name of mirret, is a species of eucalypt that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a mallee, rarely a tree, and has rough bark on about half of the lower half of its tunk, smooth above, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and urn-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus canescens, commonly known as the Ooldea Range mallee or Beadell's mallee, depending on subspecies, is a species of mallee that is endemic to southern Australia. It has rough bark from the base of the trunk to the thicker branches, smooth bark on the thin branches, egg-shaped to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and smooth cup-shaped to conical, and sometimes ribbed 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.
Eucalyptus socialis subsp. eucentrica, commonly known as the inland red mallee, is a subspecies of mallee that is endemic to 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.
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.