Eucalyptus pluricaulis

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Purple-leaved 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. pluricaulis
Binomial name
Eucalyptus pluricaulis

Eucalyptus pluricaulis, commonly known as the purple-leaved mallee, [2] is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, dull bluish green, lance-shaped leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and fifteen, pale yellow flowers and cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit.

Contents

Description

Eucalyptus pluricaulis is a mallee that typically grows to a height of 1–5 m (3 ft 3 in–16 ft 5 in) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth, greyish bark that is copper-coloured when new. Adult leaves are the same shade of dull bluish green on both sides, 50–105 mm (2.0–4.1 in) long and 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) wide tapering to a petiole 8–17 mm (0.31–0.67 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of between nine and fifteen on an unbranched peduncle 8–17 mm (0.31–0.67 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels up to 6 mm (0.24 in) long. Mature buds are an elongated spindle shape, 17–28 mm (0.67–1.10 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide with a horn-shaped operculum that is three or four times as long as the floral cup. Flowering occurs from March to September and the flowers are pale yellow. The fruit is a woody, cylindrical to barrel-shaped capsule 7–11 mm (0.28–0.43 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) wide with the valves near rim level. [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

Eucalyptus pluricaulis was first formally described in 1991 by Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper in the journal Nuytsia from specimens Brooker collected near the Coorow-Greenhead Road in 1982. [5] [6] The specific epithet (pluricaulis) is from the Latin plus, pluris meaning "more" or "several" and caulis meaning "stem", referring to the mallee habit of this eucalypt. [7]

In the same journal, Brooker and Hopper described two subspecies and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

Subspecies pluricaulis grows in tall mallee, often on slopes near breakaways and is found from near Three Springs and the Lesueur National Park to Southern Cross and Ravensthorpe. Subspecies porphyrea grows in mallee between Tarin Rock, the Fitzgerald River National Park and the Stirling Range. [5] [9] [11]

Conservation status

Both subspecies of this mallee eucalypt are classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [9] [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eucalyptus phaenophylla, also known as common southern mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, linear to narrow lance-shaped or narrow elliptical adult leaves, flower buds in groups of up to thirteen, pale lemon-coloured flowers and barrel-shaped, cylindrical or conical fruit.

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

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

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

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

Eucalyptus alatissima is a mallee that is endemic to central parts of the Great Victoria Desert. It has rough bark on the lower part of its stems, smooth tan to cream-coloured bark on its upper parts, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves and buds in groups of three. The buds have a powdery covering and are prominently winged.

<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.

References

  1. "Eucalyptus pluricaulis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  2. "Eucalyptus pluricaulis Purple-leaved Mallee". Nindethana. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  3. "Eucalyptus pluricaulis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  4. "Eucalyptus pluricaulis". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Brooker, M. Ian H.; Hopper, Stephen (1991). "A taxonomic review of Eucalyptus wandoo, E. redunca and allied species (Eucalyptus series Levispermae Maiden - (Myrtaceae) in Western Australia". Nuytsia. 8 (1): 155–162. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  6. "Eucalyptus pluricaulis". APNI. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  7. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 280. ISBN   9780958034180.
  8. "Eucalyptus pluricaulis subsp. pluricaulis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus pluricaulis subsp. pluricaulis". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  10. "Eucalyptus pluricaulis subsp. prophyrea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus pluricaulis subsp. porphyrea". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.