| Coral gum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Eucalyptus |
| Species: | E. torquata |
| Binomial name | |
| Eucalyptus torquata | |
Eucalyptus torquata, commonly known as coral gum or Coolgardie gum, is an endemic tree of Western Australia. The species is cultivated for use in gardens and as a street tree.
A tree, small and stout in form, with beautiful flowers. [1] It reaches between 4 and 11 metres (13 and 36 ft) in height in its native habitat [2] which has a spreading habit. [3] It produces clusters of orange barrel-shaped buds with horned caps, which are followed by prolific red or pink flowers between August and December. The bark is rough [2] and is persistent on the trunk and branches. [3] The bark is fibrous-flaky box type grey-black, grey or black colour bark with whitish patches. [4] The leaves are greyish green in colour, the blade has a lanceolate shape and is 90 to 120 mm (3.5 to 4.7 in) in length and 15 to 20 millimetres (0.6 to 0.8 in) wide. The leaves are basally tapered, the petioles are quadrangular or narrowly flattened or channelled. [4] The conflorescences have a diameter that are 35 mm (1.4 in) with flowers that are normally coral-pink in colour but white, cream and red flowered plants are known. [3] They are simple and axillary with three to seven flowered umbellasters with terete peduncles. The buds have a rostrate or urceolate shape and are not pruinose, the calyx calyptrate sheds early. The fruits that form later have a cylindrical shape with a depressed disc and enclosed valves. [4] [5]
The species was first formally described by the botanist Johann George Luehmann in 1897 in Victorian Naturalist . The type specimen was collected by W.A. Macpherson from near Coolgardie. [4]
The species name torquata is taken from the latin word torquatus meaning having a twisted ring or collar. This refers to the corrugated structure found at the base of the buds and fruit. [3]
Amongst the common names of the species is the use of Christmas tree, given for flowers that appear in December, and Goldfields red flowering gum for the region's mining operations. [1]
It is found on hillsides around Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie, and south to about Widgiemooltha in the Goldfields region of Western Australia where it grows in stony loam or clay and red sandy soils. [2]
Coral gum is commonly cultivated for small gardens and for use as an ornamental or as a street tree, especially in arid areas. Flowering often occurs in 2 years from seed. It can be grown in large containers in well-drained soils. [3]
Corymbia ficifolia, commonly known as red flowering gum, is a species of small tree that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, egg-shaped to broadly lance-shape adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, bright red, pink or orange flowers and urn-shaped fruit. It has a restricted distribution in the wild but is one of the most commonly planted ornamental eucalypts.
Eucalyptus coolabah, commonly known as coolibah or coolabah, is a species of tree found in eastern inland Australia. It has rough bark on part or all of the trunk, smooth powdery cream to pink bark above, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven and hemispherical or conical fruit.
Eucalyptus woodwardii, commonly known as lemon-flowered gum and also Woodward's blackbutt, is a small tree or mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. The Noongar name for the tree is Gungurra.
Eucalyptus leucoxylon, commonly known as yellow gum, blue gum or white ironbark, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It has smooth yellowish bark with some rough bark near the base, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three and cylindrical, barrel-shaped or shortened spherical fruit. A widely cultivated species, it has white, red or pink flowers.
Eucalyptus salmonophloia, commonly known as salmon gum, wurak or weerluk or woonert or marrlinja. is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between nine and thirteen, creamy white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus drummondii, commonly known as Drummond's gum or Drummond's mallee, is a species of mallee or tree that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow elliptical to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus victrix, commonly known as the smooth-barked coolibah, western coolibah or little ghost gum, is a species of small tree that is endemic to Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and conical fruit.
Eucalyptus fasciculosa, commonly known as pink gum, hill gum or scrub gum, is a species of small tree that is endemic to southern Australia. It has mostly smooth, light grey to pinkish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and conical to barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus aspratilis, commonly known as the soak yate or inland mallee-yate, is a mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough bark near its base, smooth silvery greyish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, pendulous buds in groups of seven, pale yellow or cream-coloured flowers and cylindrical fruit.
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.
Eucalyptus formanii, commonly known as Die Hardy mallee, Forman's mallee or feather gum, 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.
Eucalyptus lesouefii, commonly known as goldfields blackbutt, is a species of mallet or tree that is endemic to central Western Australia. It has rough, black bark on the lower trunk, smooth bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus salicola, commonly known as salt gum, salt lake salmon gum or salt salmon gum, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It has smooth, powdery bark, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, nine or eleven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus sepulcralis, commonly known as weeping gum or weeping mallee, is a mallee that is endemic to a small area along the southern coast of Western Australia. It has slender stems with smooth bark, narrow elliptical to narrow lance-shaped leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, pale yellow flowers and barrel-shaped to urn-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus stricklandii, commonly known as Strickland's gum, is a species of small tree that is endemic to Western Australia, but possibly also naturalised in Victoria. It has rough, crumbly to flaky bark near the base of the trunk, smooth reddish brown to grey bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, yellow flowers and bell-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus aequioperta, commonly known as the Welcome Hill gum, is a mallee, sometimes a tree and is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough bark on the lower half of the trunk, lance-shaped leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and fifteen, white flowers and more or less cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus cylindrocarpa, commonly known as the woodline mallee, is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has mostly smooth bark, sometimes with loose fibrous or flaky bark near the base of the trunk, linear to lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, nine or eleven and cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus delicata is a species of tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous to scaly bark on the trunk, smooth white to greyish bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, creamy white flowers and more or less spherical to barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus dielsii, commonly known as the cap-fruited mallee or cap-fruited mallet is a species of mallet that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, yellow to yellowish green flowers and cylindrical to hemispherical fruit with a flange near the rim.
Eucalyptus dundasii, commonly known as the Dundas blackbutt, is a species of tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has rough, scaly bark on the lower part of the trunk, smooth bark above, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and cylindrical to narrow urn-shaped flowers.
