Square-fruited mallee | |
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Eucalyptus tetraptera | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Myrtaceae |
Genus: | Eucalyptus |
Species: | E. tetraptera |
Binomial name | |
Eucalyptus tetraptera | |
E. tetraptera, field distribution | |
Synonyms [1] | |
Eucalyptus acutangulaTurcz. |
Eucalyptus tetraptera, commonly known as square-fruited mallee or four-winged mallee, [2] is a mallee that is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, thick lance-shaped to oblong adult leaves, single flower buds arranged in leaf axils, red to pink flowers and square, prominently winged fruit.
Eucalyptus tetraptera is low, straggly mallee that typically grows to a height of 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) and a similar width. It usually has a single low branching trunk with smooth, grey or whitish-grey bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have egg-shaped to broadly elliptical leaves that are 50–120 mm (2.0–4.7 in) long and 25–70 mm (0.98–2.76 in) wide and petiolate. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same shade of glossy green on both sides, thick, lance-shaped to oblong, 90–250 mm (3.5–9.8 in) long and 28–75 mm (1.1–3.0 in) wide, the base tapering to a narrowly flattened petiole 30–45 mm (1.2–1.8 in) long. The flower buds are arranged singly in leaf axils on a rigidly down-turned peduncle 5–60 mm (0.20–2.36 in) long, the peduncle often wider than long. Mature buds are cubic with broad, curved wings, 34–65 mm (1.3–2.6 in) long and 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in) wide with a pyramid-shaped operculum 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long. Flowering occurs from late winter to mid summer and the flowers are red to pink. The fruit is a woody, red, sessile, oblong capsule, 35–55 mm (1.4–2.2 in) long and 25–55 mm (0.98–2.17 in) wide including the wings on each corner. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
Eucalyptus tetraptera was first formally described by the Russian botanist Nikolai Turczaninow in 1849 in the journal, Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou from specimens collected in 1848 by James Drummond. [5] [8] [9] The specific epithet (tetraptera) is from ancient Greek words meaning "four" and "winged" referring to the fruit of this species. [6]
The distribution of the square-fruited mallee is limited to coastal sandplains where it is also found among granite outcrops of southern Western Australia, north from the Stirling Ranges and south to around Albany east to Israelite Bay in the Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions where it grows in white or grey sandy soils in heath. [3] [7]
This eucalypt is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife. [3]
E. tetraptera is one of the most bizarre of the eucalypts with its spectacular, large, red buds and fruit. A popular ornamental, [10] it grows well in full sun in semi-arid climates but is slower growing in cooler climates. It is smog and frost resistant and can be kept in containers. As the plant becomes straggly with age it can be cut back to ground level to rejuvenate. [11] The plant is commercially available as seedlings or as seeds. As for most Eucalypts, the seeds will germinate readily. [4]
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.
Eucalyptus pleurocarpa, commonly known as tallerack, talyerock or tallerack is a species of mallee that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, broadly lance-shaped to elliptical, grey or glaucous leaves that are arranged more or less in opposite pairs, flower buds in groups of seven, whitish flowers and glaucous, barrel-shaped fruit. It is easily recognised in the field by its form, large, white, waxy leaves and, when in flower, its stamens clustered in four groups.
Eucalyptus pyriformis, commonly known as pear-fruited mallee or Dowerin rose, is a species of low, straggly mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth greyish brown bark sometimes with ribbony bark near the base, egg-shaped to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, red, pinkish or creamy white flowers and down-turned, conical fruit with prominent ribs.
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 grossa, commonly known as coarse-leaved mallee, is a species of mallee or rarely a straggly tree, that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and all but the thinnest branches, broadly lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, yellowish green flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical fruit.
Eucalyptus preissiana, commonly known as bell-fruited mallee, is a species of small tree or shrub that occurs in an area between Albany and Esperance in Western Australia. It has a spreading habit, smooth bark, elliptical to egg-shaped or oblong leaves, flower buds in groups of three, yellow flowers and cup-shaped, conical or bell-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus todtiana, commonly known as coastal blackbuttpricklybark or dwutta, is a species of tree or a mallee that is endemic to the west coast of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous and flaky bark on the trunk, smooth bark on the branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus redunca, commonly known as black marlock, is a species of mallee or a shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and fifteen, lemon-coloured flowers and barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus kybeanensis, commonly known as the Kybean mallee ash, is a species of mallee or tree that is endemic to south eastern Australia. It has smooth, white or greyish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, nine or eleven, white flowers and conical or 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 falcata, commonly known as silver mallet or toolyumuck, is a species of mallee or marlock that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven or thirteen, creamy white or yellowish green flowers and flattened spherical 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 incrassata, commonly known as the lerp mallee, yellow mallee, ridge fruited mallee or rib fruited mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to southern Australia. It has smooth bark, sometimes with rough, ribbony bark near the base, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white, pale yellow, sometimes pink or red flowers, and cylindrical, barrel-shaped or bell-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus rameliana, commonly known as Ramel's mallee, is a species of low growing mallee that is endemic to desert areas of central Western Australia. It has smooth bark, broadly lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged singly in leaf axils, pale yellow flowers and flattened, pyramid-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus uncinata, commonly known as the hook-leaved mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of nine to thirteen, creamy white flowers and barrel-shaped to oval or cylindrical fruit.
Eucalyptus xanthonema, commonly known as yellow-flowered mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to the south west of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, linear adult leaves, flower buds in groups of up to eleven, white to pale lemon-coloured flowers and barrel-shaped fruit.
Corymbia ferriticola, commonly known as Pilbara ghost gum, is a species of tree or a mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and shortened spherical to cylindrical fruit.
Eucalyptus celastroides, commonly known by the Noongar name of mirret, is a species of eucalypt that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a mallee, rarely a tree, and has rough bark on about half of the lower half of its tunk, smooth above, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and urn-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus ceratocorys, also known as the horn-capped mallee, is a mallee that is native to South Australia and Western Australia. It has rough, ribbony bark at the base of its trunk, smooth greyish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine with ridges along the sides, white to cream-coloured flowers and cylindrical fruit.
Eucalyptus × stoataptera is a small tree that is endemic to a small area on the south coast of Western Australia. It has a dense crown, smooth bark on the trunk and branches, glossy, oblong leaves, single flower buds in leaf axils, lemon-orange flowers, and fruit that are square in cross-section. It is a natural hybrid between Eucalyptus stoatei and E. tetraptera.