Eucalyptus willisii

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Shining peppermint
Eucalyptus willisii buds.jpg
Flower buds of E. willisii in Wilsons Promontory N.P.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. willisii
Binomial name
Eucalyptus willisii
fruit Eucalyptus willisii fruit.jpg
fruit

Eucalyptus willisii, also known as shining peppermint or promontory peppermint, [2] is a species of small to medium-sized tree, sometimes a mallee that is endemic to Victoria, Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven to twenty five, white flowers and cup-shaped or hemispherical fruit.

Contents

Description

Eucalyptus willisii is a tree or a mallee that typically grows to a height of 10 m (33 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have slightly glossy, sessile, lance-shaped or curved leaves that are 64–85 mm (2.5–3.3 in) long, 18–29 mm (0.71–1.14 in) wide and arranged in opposite pairs. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same shade of dull to slightly glossy blue-green on both sides, 60–170 mm (2.4–6.7 in) long and 7–23 mm (0.28–0.91 in) wide tapering to a petiole 6–18 mm (0.24–0.71 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of eleven to twenty five on an unbranched peduncle 2–8 mm (0.079–0.315 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long. Mature buds are oval to club-shaped, 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and about 3 mm (0.12 in) wide with a hemispherical operculum. Flowering occurs from September to January and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped capsule 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and wide on a pedicel 1–4 mm (0.039–0.157 in) long with three or four valves near rim level. The seeds are smooth and glossy, brown to dark brown and pyramid-shaped but are distorted along one curved face. [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus willisii was first formally described in 1983 by Pauline Ladiges, Chris Humphries and Ian Brooker in the Australian Journal of Botany from specimens collected near Mount Oberon in Wilsons Promontory National Park in 1982. [6] The specific epithet (willisii) honours James Hamlyn Willis (1910 – 1995). [4] [7]

Distribution

The shining peppermint is endemic to Victoria from Cranbourne to around Bairnsdale in the west, and south to Wilsons Promontory [2] where it is found growing in sandy areas or on granite hills in scrubland communities. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

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

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Eucalyptus croajingolensis, commonly known as the East Gippsland peppermint or Gippsland peppermint, is a species of tree that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It has rough, short-fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches, sometimes smooth bark on the thinner branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of nine or more, white flowers and hemispherical to cup-shaped fruit.

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

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

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

Eucalyptus alaticaulis, commonly known as the Grampians grey-gum, is a tree or mallee that is endemic to a restricted area in the Grampians National Park in Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark near the base of its trunk, lance-shaped leaves, groups of about seven cylindrical buds with a cone-shaped operculum, white flowers and more or less cylindrical fruit.

Eucalyptus arenicola, commonly known as the Holey Plains peppermint or Gippsland Lakes peppermint, is a tree or mallee that is endemic to south-east coastal areas of Victoria. It has rough, fibrous bark on its trunk and branches, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves, club-shaped buds arranged in groups of eleven to twenty five, white flowers and cup-shaped to hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus longissima is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous or stringy bark on the trunk, smooth greyish brown bark above, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in group of between seven and thirteen, white flowers and shortened spherical fruit.

Eucalyptus molyneuxii is a species of small tree or mallee that is endemic to the Little Desert National Park area of Victoria. It has short-fibrous bark on varying amounts of its trunk and branches, smooth bark above, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of between eleven and fifteen, white flowers and cup-shaped or conical fruit.

Eucalyptus ornans, commonly known as Avon peppermint, is a species of mallee that is endemic to a restricted area in Victoria. It has smooth whitish to grey bark, slightly glossy, bluish green, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seventeen and twenty one, white flowers and shortened hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus splendens, commonly known as apple jack, is a species of small, spreading tree that is endemic to a small area of Victoria, Australia. It has fibrous or corky bark on the trunk and thicker branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical to cup-shaped fruit.

References

  1. "Eucalyptus willisii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Eucalyptus willisii Shining Peppermint, Promontory Peppermint". TreeProject. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Eucalyptus willisii P.Ladiges". VicFlora. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Eucalyptus willisii subsp. willisii". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  5. Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus willisii". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  6. "Eucalyptus willisii". APNI. Retrieved 21 January 2020.
  7. "Willis, James (Jim) Hamlyn (1910 - 1995)". Council of Heads of Australasian Herbaria Australian National Herbarium. Retrieved 21 January 2020.