Merrit | |
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Flowers and buds of E. flocktoniae | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Eucalyptus |
Species: | E. flocktoniae |
Binomial name | |
Eucalyptus flocktoniae | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Eucalyptus flocktoniae, commonly known as merrit, [2] is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth, silvery grey bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, prominently beaked flower buds in groups of seven or nine and barrel-shaped or urn-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus flocktoniae is a tree or a mallee that typically grows to a height of 2.5–15 m (8 ft 2 in – 49 ft 3 in) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth silvery grey or brownish bark, sometimes with a small amount of rough bark near the base. Young plants and coppice regrowth have elliptical to egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves that are 40–75 mm (1.6–3.0 in) long and 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, the some glossy green on both sides, 60–110 mm (2.4–4.3 in) long and 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) wide on a petiole 10–22 mm (0.39–0.87 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven or nine on an unbranched peduncle 6–15 mm (0.24–0.59 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long. Mature buds are oval, 11–18 mm (0.43–0.71 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide with a prominently beaked to horn-shaped operculum 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) long. Flowering occurs from August to December or from January to April and the flowers are white to cream-coloured or pale yellow. The fruit is a woody, barrel-shaped or urn-shaped capsule 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long and 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) wide. [2] [3] [4]
Merrit was first formally described in 1911 by Joseph Maiden who gave it the name Eucalyptus oleosa var. flocktoniae in the Journal of the Natural History & Science Society of Western Australia . [5] [6] In 1916, Maiden raised the variety to species status as E. flocktoniae. [7] The specific epithet (flocktoniae) honours "Miss Margaret Flockton, the accomplished artist of my 'Critical Revision of the genus Eucalyptus' and 'Forest Flora of New South Wales'". [6]
"Merrit" is the name given to the species by Noongar people. [8]
In 1999, Dean Nicolle and John Conran described two subspecies and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
Eucalyptus flocktoniae usually grows in open woodland and forest on sandy plains. Subspecies flocktoniae occurs between Mingenew, the Stirling Range and the Ravensthorpe area. Subspecies hebes has a narrower distribution mainly between Esperance and Balladonia. [3] [4]
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 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 kochii, commonly known as oil mallee, is a species of mallee, sometimes a tree, and is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough, flaky or fibrous bark on the trunk, smooth grey bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine to fifteen, white flowers and urn-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus calcicola, commonly known as the Boranup mallee, Harry Butler's mallee or Hamelin Bay mallee, is a mallee that is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth, pale greenish bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and ribbed, cup-shaped to hemispherical fruit.
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 eremicola, commonly known as Vokes Hill mallee, is a species of mallee that is native to South Australia and Western Australia. It has rough bark near the base, smooth bark above, linear to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and fifteen, white flowers and shortened spherical fruit.
Eucalyptus gittinsii, commonly known as northern sandplain mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth greyish bark, sometimes with rough flaky bark near the base, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, whitish flowers and cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit.
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 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 jutsonii, commonly known as Jutson's mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on its stems, smooth pinkish to greyish brown bark above, glossy green, linear adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, cream-coloured flowers and shortened spherical 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 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 striaticalyx, commonly known as Cue York gum or kopi gum, is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has thick, rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and thirteen, creamy white flowers and conical to cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus vegrandis, commonly known as the Ongerup mallee or Cranbrook 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 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 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. 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.
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.