Eucalyptus falcata

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Silver mallet
Eucalyptus falcata.jpg
Eucalyptus falcata in the Fitzgerald River National Park
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. falcata
Binomial name
Eucalyptus falcata
Synonyms [1]

Eucalyptus falcata, commonly known as silver mallet [2] or toolyumuck, [3] is a species of mallee or marlock that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven or thirteen, creamy white or yellowish green flowers and flattened spherical fruit.

Contents

flower buds Eucalyptus falcata buds(2).jpg
flower buds
fruit Eucalyptus falcata fruit(2).jpg
fruit

Description

Eucalyptus falcata is a mallee or marlock that forms a lignotuber and typically grows to a height of 5–6 m (16–20 ft). It has smooth, silvery gray and green-gray over pale brown-orange bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have egg-shaped, petiolate leaves arranged in opposite pairs and 35–60 mm (1.4–2.4 in) long and 20–30 mm (0.79–1.18 in) wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same shade of green on both sides, lance-shaped to curved, 55–130 mm (2.2–5.1 in) long and 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) wide on a petiole 10–27 mm (0.39–1.06 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of eleven or thirteen on an unbranched, down-turned peduncle 7–22 mm (0.28–0.87 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 1–7 mm (0.039–0.276 in) long. Mature buds are oval, 10–19 mm (0.39–0.75 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) wide with an elongated, conical operculum. Flowering occurs between August and May and the flowers are creamy white or yellowish green. The fruit is a woody, flattened spherical capsule 4–9 mm (0.16–0.35 in) long and 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 in) wide on a pedicel up to 8 mm (0.31 in) long. [2] [4]

This species is closely related to E. ornata and E. recta , as well as the recently described E. rugulata and E. purpurata . [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus falcata was first formally described in 1847 by Nikolai Turczaninow in Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou from a specimen collected by James Drummond. [6] [7] The specific epithet (falcata) is a Latin word meaning "sickle-shaped". [8]

Noongar peoples know the tree as toolyumuck. [3]

Distribution and habitat

Silver mallet has a scattered distribution of isolated populations from near Kojonup, to near Corrigin and north to Tammin, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren biogeographic regions. It is often found on the top or slopes of lateritic rises and is associated with species such as E. astringens , E. densa , E. incrassata , E. salmonophloia , E. urna and E. wandoo . [5]

Conservation status

This eucalypt is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Eucalyptus erythronema, commonly known as the red-flowered mallee, 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.

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

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

Eucalyptus macrandra, commonly known as long-flowered marlock, river yate or twet, is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth greyish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of fifteen, pale yellow flowers and elongated cup-shaped to bell-shaped fruits.

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

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

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.

<i>Eucalyptus calycogona</i> Species of plant in 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.

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

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 spreta is a species of mallet or marlock that is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus tortilis is a species of mallet and a gimlet that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and hemispherical to cup-shaped fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus uncinata</i> Species of grass

Eucalyptus uncinata, commonly known as the hook-leaved mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of nine to thirteen, creamy white flowers and barrel-shaped to oval or cylindrical fruit.

Eucalyptus urna, commonly known as merrit, is a species of mallet or marlock that is endemic to southern areas of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven to thirteen, creamy yellow to white flowers and urn-shaped 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.

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

Eucalyptus yumbarrana, commonly known as the Yumbarra mallee is a species of mallee that is endemic to South Australia. It has rough, flaky bark on the lower trunk, smooth bark above, egg-shaped to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white to yellow flowers and shortened spherical to cup-shaped fruit.

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

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 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 ecostata, commonly known as coastal silver mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth greyish bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between eleven and fifteen, creamy white flowers and more or less hemispherical but flattened fruit.

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

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.

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

Eucalyptus socialis subsp. socialis, commonly known as the summer red mallee, is a subspecies of mallee that is endemic to inland south-eastern 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 white flowers and barrel-shaped to urn-shaped or spherical 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.

Eucalyptus socialis subsp. viridans, commonly known as the green-leaved red mallee, is a subspecies of mallee that is endemic to south-eastern 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. 1 2 "Eucalyptus falcata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus falcata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. 1 2 "Noongar names for plants". kippleonline.net. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  4. "Eucalyptus falcata". Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Eucalyptus falcata (silver mallet)" (PDF). Eucalypts of Western Australia. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  6. "Eucalyptus falcata". APNI. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  7. Turczaninow, Nikolai (1847). "Decas tertia generum adhuc non descriptorum, adjectis descriptionibus nonnullarum specierum Myrtacearum xerocarpicarum atque Umbelliferarum imperfectarum". Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou. 20 (1): 163. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  8. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 710.