Eucalyptus opimiflora

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Northern silver mallee
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. opimiflora
Binomial name
Eucalyptus opimiflora

Eucalyptus opimiflora, commonly known as northern silver mallee, [2] is a species of mallee that is endemic to near-coastal areas of Western Australia between Perth and Geraldton. It has smooth grey bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and fifteen, creamy white flowers and conical to hemispherical fruit.

Contents

Description

Eucalyptus opimiflora is a mallee that grows to a height of 7 m (23 ft) and forms a lignotuber. The bark is smooth grey and cream-coloured. The leaves on young plants and on coppice regrowth are dull green to slightly bluish, elliptical, up to 35 mm (1.4 in) long and 25 mm (0.98 in) wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, mostly 60–110 mm (2.4–4.3 in) long and 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) wide. The flower buds are borne in groups of between seven and fifteen on a slightly flattened peduncle 8–14 mm (0.31–0.55 in) long, the individual flowers on pedicels 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long. Mature buds are cream-coloured, 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) wide with a conical operculum up to 2.2 times as long as the floral cup. The flowers are creamy white and the fruit are conical to hemispherical, 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) long and 7–11 mm (0.28–0.43 in) wide. [3] [4]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus opimiflora was first formally described in 2012 by Dean Nicolle and Malcolm E. French from a specimen they collected near Badgingarra in 2000. The description was published in the journal Nuytsia . [3] [5] The specific epithet (opimiflora) is from Latin, meaning "rich" or "fruitful" (in the sense of fat) and "-flowered". [6]

Distribution and habitat

This mallee usually grows on laterite slopes, often in low heath and occurs in near-coastal areas from south of Geraldton to near Cunderdin, in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains and Swan Coastal Plain biogeographic regions. [3] [2]

Conservation status

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

See also

Related Research Articles

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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 × balanites</i> Species of eucalyptus

Eucalyptus × balanites, commonly known as Cadda Road mallee, is a tree or a mallee that is endemic to a small area of the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, corky or flaky bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven, creamy-white flowers and hemispherical to cup-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus glomerosa, commonly known as jinjulu, is a species of mallee that is endemic to inland Australia. It has rough, fibrous and flaky bark near the base, smooth bark above, egg-shaped to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, cream-coloured flowers and conical to hemispherical fruit. It is mainly found in the Great Victoria Desert of South Australia but also grows in eastern parts of Western Australia.

<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 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 × phylacis, commonly known as the Meelup mallee, is a species of tree or a robust mallee that is endemic to a small area in the southwest of Western Australia. It has rough, hard and corky bark on the trunk and larger branches, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven, creamy white flowers and hemispherical fruit. It is possibly a hybrid between E. decipiens and E. virginea.

Eucalyptus repullulans, commonly known as chrysoprase mallee, is a species of mallee that is native to arid parts of Western Australia and the far north-west of South Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and thirteen, cream-coloured flowers and cup-shaped, cylindrical or conical fruit.

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

Eucalyptus rugosa, commonly known as the Kingscote mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to coastal areas of southern Western Australia and South Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and thirteen, white flowers and cup-shaped, conical or hemispherical 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.

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

Eucalyptus adesmophloia is a mallee that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. Its fresh bark is grey, the leaves are a glossy dark green, the flowers are white and borne in large groups, and the fruits are conical to hemispherical.

Eucalyptus aridimontana is a mallee that is endemic to a small area in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and barrel-shaped fruit.

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

Eucalyptus armillata, commonly known as red-flowered 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 × balanopelex is a mallee that is endemic to a small area of the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, broadly lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy-white flowers and hemispherical fruit. It is thought to be a hybrid between E. kessellii subsp. eugnosta and E. semiglobosa.

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

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 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.

Eucalyptus frenchiana is a species of mallet that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped, glossy green adult leaves, ribbed flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and ribbed, conical to cup-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus notactites, commonly known as southern limestone mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth, greyish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between eleven and fifteen, creamy white flowers and hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus rowleyi is a species of mallee that is endemic to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It has smooth grey bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and cylindrical to urn-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus vittata is a species of mallet that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, ribbed flower buds in groups of seven or nine, creamy white flowers and glaucous, hemispherical to cylindrical or cup-shaped fruit.

References

  1. "Eucalyptus opimiflora". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus opimiflora". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. 1 2 3 Nicolle, Dean; French, Malcolm E. (2012). "A revision of Eucalyptus ser. Falcatae (Myrtaceae) from south-western Australia, including the description of new taxa and comments on the probable hybrid origin of E. balanites, E. balanopelex and E. phyacis" (PDF). Nuytsia. 22 (6): 424–426. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  4. "Eucalyptus opimiflora". Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  5. "Eucalyptus opimiflora". APNI. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  6. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 266. ISBN   9780958034180.