Eucalyptus formanii

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Die Hardy mallee
Eucalyptus formanii.jpg
Eucalyptus formanii in the Die Hardy Range
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. formanii
Binomial name
Eucalyptus formanii

Eucalyptus formanii, commonly known as Die Hardy mallee, [3] Forman's mallee or feather gum, [4] is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough bark over most, or all of its trunk, smooth bark above, linear adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical fruit.

Contents

buds Eucalyptus formanii buds.jpg
buds
fruit Eucalyptus formanii fruit.jpg
fruit

Description

Eucalyptus formanii is a tree or mallee that typically grows to a height of 10 m (33 ft) and forms a lignotuber. The bark on part or all of the trunk is rough, grey and fibrous or flaky, smooth creamy brown to pinkish grey and shed in scruffy ribbons above. Young plants and coppice regrowth have more or less sessile, linear leaves that are 20–45 mm (0.79–1.77 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide. Adult leaves are also linear, held erect, the same glossy green on both sides when mature, 35–95 mm (1.4–3.7 in) long, 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide and sessile or on a petiole up to 10 mm (0.39 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven or nine on an unbranched peduncle 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long. Mature buds are oval to spindle-shaped, 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) long and about 3 mm (0.12 in) wide with a conical to beaked operculum. Flowering occurs between December and April and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody, cup-shaped to hemispherical capsule 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide with the valves slightly above rim level. [3] [5] [6]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus formanii was first formally described in 1943 by Charles Gardner in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia . The type specimen was collected in sand dunes near the Die Hardy Range, 175 km (109 mi) north of Southern Cross by the geologists Francis Gloster Forman and Robert Sackville Matheson. [7] [8] [9] [10] The specific epithet (formanii) honours "Francis Gloster Forman, Government Geologist of Western Australia, who brought me [C.A.Gardner] the first specimens of this plant." [10]

The Die Hardy Ranges, or Mount Geraldine, is a range of hills north of Mount Jackson where there are abandoned gold mines. In 2010, the range was declared a nature reserve. [11]

Distribution

Die Hardy mallee is found on ironstone slopes north of Bullfinch in the Coolgardie, Murchison and Yalgoo biogeographic regions of Western Australia, where it grows in sandy soils. It forms part of low woodland communities that cover a substantial part of the base of the Mount Manning Nature Reserve, occurring on flat sandy plains in broad valleys with sandy loam soil types. The low woodlands on plains are made up of 10 m (33 ft) high trees over an understorey of Triodia rigidissima . The composition of the flora is complex with several intermediate strata of tall and low shrubs consisting of Grevillea acuaria , Bossiaea walkeri and various species of Eremophila . [3] [5] [12]

Conservation status

This eucalypt is classified as "Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife, [5] meaning that is rare or near threatened. [13] The International Union for the Conservation of Nature list it as a least concern species, noting it has a stable although severely fragmented population of over 2,000 individuals. [14]

Use in horticulture

The fine, crowded leaves and coppicing features of this eucalypt may have ornamental value. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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<i>Eucalyptus comitae-vallis</i> Species of flowering plants

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Eucalyptus scyphocalyx, commonly known as goblet mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to southern areas of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus calcareana, commonly known as the Nundroo mallee or Nundroo gum, is a mallee or a small tree that is endemic to the south coast of Australia. It has smooth, greyish or cream-coloured bark, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, creamy-white flowers and cup-shaped to conical fruit.

Eucalyptus peninsularis, commonly known as Cummins mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to a small area of South Australia. It has smooth, greyish or brownish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, pale creamy yellow flowers and urn-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus foliosa is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has a dense crown with foliage reaching to the ground, smooth greyish bark, linear to narrow lance-shaped or narrow oblong adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and conical to shortened hemispherical fruit. It is only known from a small area near Esperance.

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

Eucalyptus armillata, commonly known as red-flowered mallee or flanged mallee, is a mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds hanging downwards in groups of three, usually red flowers and prominently ribbed fruit with a double flange around the rim.

Eucalyptus baiophylla is a mallee that is endemic to the far west of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on all its stems, linear adult leaves, oval buds in groups of five or seven, white flowers and conical to more or less barrel-shaped fruit. It is similar to E. prominens which has less rough bark, larger, wider leaves and fruit with the valves more protruding.

References

  1. Fensham, R.; Laffineur, B.; Collingwood, T. (2019). "Eucalyptus formanii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T133375248A133375250. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T133375248A133375250.en . Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  2. "Eucalyptus formanii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Eucalyptus formanii". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  4. "Forman's Mallee, Forman's Eucalyptus, Feather Gum Eucalyptus formanii". Dave's Garden. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus formanii". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus formanii". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  7. "Eucalyptus formanii". APNI. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  8. "Forman, Francis Gloster (1904 - )". Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  9. "Matheson, Robert Sackville (1913 - )". Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  10. 1 2 Gardner, Charles Austin (1943). "Contributiones Florae Australiae Occidentalis XI". Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. 27: 186–187. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  11. "Die Hardy Gold Mine, Mount Jackson Goldfield, Yilgarn Shire, Western Australia". Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  12. "Introduction to National Ecological Communities endemic to Western Australia" (PDF). Department of Environment. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  13. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  14. Fensham, R.; Laffineur, B.; Collingwood, T. (13 March 2019). "Jutson's Mallee Eucalyptus formanii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T133375248A133375250. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T133375248A133375250.en . Retrieved 22 June 2023.