Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata

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Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata
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:
Subspecies:
E. g. subsp. divaricata
Trinomial name
Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata
(McAulay & Brett) B.M.Potts
Synonyms
  • Eucalyptus divaricataMcAulay & Brett

Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata, commonly known as Miena cider gum, is a tree endemic to Tasmania, Australia. It is a subspecies of Eucalyptus gunnii .

Contents

Description

The Miena cider gum is a medium-sized woodland tree about 15 metres (50 feet) tall. The juvenile leaves are particularly durable, with very glaucous, rounded and oppositely arranged juvenile leaves. The foliage of mature trees is a waxy blue colour. The seed capsules are more urn-shaped than the more consistently bell-shaped capsules of the more common species.

Taxonomy

The taxon was formally described in 1938 and given the name Eucalyptus divaricata. [1] In 2001 it was reclassified as a subspecies of Eucalyptus gunnii . The name Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata is used by the Tasmanian Herbarium in their Tasmanian Vascular Plant Census in 2011 and is an accepted name in the World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. [2] [3] The Australian Plant Census of 2006, however, regarded it as a synonym of Eucalyptus gunnii. [4]

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to frost hollows of Tasmania's central plateau. The sites where the Miena cider gum is found tend to be poorly drained and prone to freezing. It does not grow well on sandy/chalky soils or very wet sites.

Uses

This Miena cider gum is noted for exceptional cold tolerance for a eucalyptus. [5] The plant produces a sweet sap similar to maple syrup, and is being considered for cultivation for this purpose.[ citation needed ] When bottled and capped, the liquid ferments and resembles apple cider, hence cider gum. Tasmanian Aborigines and stockmen are reported to have drunk the intoxicating, naturally fermented sap. [6] The flavour has been likened to that of Cointreau. [7] Early settlers laid possum traps beneath Miena cider gum trees because possums found the sap highly palatable. The sweet foliage is eagerly eaten by livestock. [6]

Conservation status

There are only eight small stands of Miena cider gum occupying in total only few hundred hectares. In 1999 only about 2000 trees were setting seed. [8] The population and the number of trees flowering have been in decline since 1991. [6] Over the past 20 years one of the reasons these specialized trees have died is due to warming weather. [9] The species is listed as "endangered" under both the national Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Tasmania's Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 . [8]

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

Eucalyptus regnans, known variously as mountain ash, swamp gum, or stringy gum, is a species of medium-sized to very tall forest tree that is native to the Australia states of Tasmania and Victoria. It is a straight-trunked tree with smooth grey bark, but with a stocking of rough brown bark at the base, glossy green, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and fifteen, white flowers, and cup-shaped or conical fruit. It is the tallest of all flowering plants; the tallest measured living specimen, named Centurion, stands 100 metres tall in Tasmania.

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

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<i>Eucalyptus globulus</i> Species of tree endemic to southeastern Australia

Eucalyptus globulus, commonly known as southern blue gum or blue gum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is a tall, evergreen tree endemic to southeastern Australia. This Eucalyptus species has mostly smooth bark, juvenile leaves that are whitish and waxy on the lower surface, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves, glaucous, ribbed flower buds arranged singly or in groups of three or seven in leaf axils, white flowers and woody fruit.

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

Eucalyptus viminalis, commonly known as the manna gum, white gum or ribbon gum, is a species of small to very tall tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has smooth bark, sometimes with rough bark near the base, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, white flowers and cup-shaped or hemispherical fruit.

<i>Eucalyptus gunnii</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae

Eucalyptus gunnii, commonly known as cider gum, is a species of large tree in the flowering plant family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to the island of Tasmania, Australia. It has mostly smooth bark, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus morrisbyi, commonly known as Morrisby's gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to a restricted area of Tasmania. It has loose slabs of rough bark near the base of its trunk, smooth pale grey bark above, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and barrel-shaped or cylindrical fruit. It is only known in the wild from a few small populations but has been widely planted as an ornamental.

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

Eucalyptus cordata, commonly known as the heart-leaved silver gum is a shrub to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has smooth bark throughout, mostly only juvenile, more or less heart-shaped, glaucous leaves, glaucous flower buds arranged in groups of three, white flowers and cylindrical or hemispherical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus perriniana, commonly known as spinning gum, is a tree or mallee which is native to New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania. Spinning gum is a sub-alpine species and grows in areas which are normally snow covered for several months in winter. However domestic cultivars can grow in almost any temperate climate.

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

Eucalyptus coccifera, commonly known as the Tasmanian snow gum, is a small to medium-sized tree endemic to Tasmania. It has smooth, grey and cream-coloured bark, elliptic to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between three and nine, usually white flowers and conical, hemispherical or cup-shaped fruit.

<i>Persoonia muelleri</i> Species of shrub

Persoonia muelleri, commonly known as Mueller’s geebung, is a shrub endemic to Tasmania. It forms a shrub in open areas of wet forests in the west and northeast of the state. It is occasionally confused with P. gunnii though it has larger flowers and longer, straighter leaves.

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

Eucalyptus archeri, also known as alpine cider gum, is a mallee or a small tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has smooth white or greyish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and conical to barrel-shaped fruit. It intergrades with E. gunnii.

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

Eucalyptus pulchella, commonly known as the white peppermint or narrow-leaved peppermint, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Tasmania. it has smooth bark, sometimes with rough fibrous bark on older trees, linear leaves, flower buds in groups of nine to twenty or more, white flowers and cup-shaped to shortened spherical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus urnigera, commonly known as urn tree, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped or elliptical leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and urn-shaped fruit.

<i>Trochocarpa gunnii</i>

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

Eucalyptus globulus subsp. globulus, commonly known as the Tasmanian blue gum, southern blue gum, or blue gum, is a subspecies of tree that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It has mostly smooth bark with some persistent slabs of old bark at the base, juvenile leaves with one glaucous side, glossy, lance-shaped adult leaves, warty flower buds arranged singly in leaf axils, white flowers and hemispherical to conical fruit that is more or less square in cross-section.

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The Tasmanian temperate forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in Australia. The ecoregion occupies the eastern portion of the island of Tasmania, which lies south of the Australian mainland.

References

  1. "Eucalyptus divaricata (McAulay & Brett)". International Plant Names Index . Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  2. "A Census of the vascular plants of Tasmania - 2011 edition" (PDF). Retrieved 7 February 2013.
  3. "Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata (McAulay & Brett) B.M.Potts, Pap. & Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania 135: 57 (2001)". World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  4. "Approved Conservation Advice for Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata (Miena Cider Gum)" (PDF). Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. 1 October 2008. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  5. "Miena cider gum Eucalyptus gunnii ssp. divaricata" (PDF). Australian Threatened Species. Threatened Species Network. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 B.M. Potts, W.C. Potts and G. Kantvilas (2001). "The Miena Cider Gum, Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata (Myrtaceae): A Taxon In Rapid Decline" (PDF). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania. 135: 57–61. doi: 10.26749/rstpp.135.57 .
  7. "Forest Practices News" (PDF). 10 (4). Forest Practices Authority. April 2011. ISSN   1441-1288. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2013.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. 1 2 "Threatened Species Section (2010) Listing Statement for Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata (Miena cider gum)" (PDF). Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (Tasmania). Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  9. Gabbi Mocatta (2006). "Sweet tree dreaming: Is it last drinks for Tasmania's cider gums?" (PDF). Unnamed.