Sandstone rough-barked apple facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sandstone rough-barked apple |
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| Angophora robur near Glenreagh | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Angophora
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| Species: |
robur
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
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Eucalyptus robur (L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill) Brooker |
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The Sandstone rough-barked apple (scientific name: Angophora robur) is a special kind of small tree. It's also called the broad-leaved sandstone apple. This tree is found only in a small part of New South Wales, Australia. It has rough, stringy bark on its trunk and branches. Its leaves are shaped like a spear or an egg. The tree produces flower buds in groups, which then open into white or creamy white flowers. After flowering, it grows fruit that looks like a cup or a bell.
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About the Sandstone Rough-Barked Apple
The Sandstone rough-barked apple is a tree that usually grows up to 10 m (33 ft) tall. It has a special woody lump at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree regrow after fires. Its bark is rough, stringy, and greyish on both the trunk and branches.
Young trees and new shoots have leaves that are directly attached to the stem (this is called sessile). These leaves are shaped like a spear or are oblong, about 80–150 mm (3.1–5.9 in) long and 20–50 mm (0.79–1.97 in) wide. They wrap around the stem and grow in pairs opposite each other.
Adult leaves also grow in opposite pairs. They can be spear-shaped, egg-shaped, or oblong. The underside of these leaves is paler. They are about 60–180 mm (2.4–7.1 in) long and 25–60 mm (0.98–2.36 in) wide and are also sessile.
The tree's flower buds grow at the ends of its branches. They are arranged on a branched stalk (a peduncle) that is 15–35 mm (0.59–1.38 in) long. Each small branch of this stalk holds three or seven buds. These buds sit on tiny stems (pedicels) that are 8–23 mm (0.31–0.91 in) long.
When the buds are ready to open, they are round, about 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long and 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) wide. They have a ribbed base (called a floral cup) and white or creamy white petals with a green line down the middle. These trees have been seen flowering in December.
After the flowers, the tree produces fruit. This fruit is a cup-shaped or bell-shaped capsule (a dry fruit that opens to release seeds). It's about 12–17 mm (0.47–0.67 in) long and 12–16 mm (0.47–0.63 in) wide. The fruit has ribs along its sides, and the parts that open to release seeds are tucked inside the fruit.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The Sandstone rough-barked apple was first officially described in 1990. Two scientists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill, gave it its scientific name, Angophora robur. They wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea. They had collected samples of the tree near Kremnos Creek, close to the Glenreagh - Grafton Road, in 1984.
Where Does It Live?
The Sandstone rough-barked apple lives in a small area near the coast in northern New South Wales. It grows along a strip of sandstone rock. This area stretches from near Glenreagh, which is north-west of Coffs Harbour, all the way to Coaldale, north-west of Grafton. This tree prefers to grow in woodlands where the soil is shallow and sandy, on top of sandstone.
Protecting This Tree
This special tree is listed as "vulnerable." This means it's at risk of becoming endangered if we don't protect it. Both the Australian Government, under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and the New South Wales Government, under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, have given it this protection status.
The main things that threaten this tree are:
- Clearing land for farming.
- Fires happening too often.
- Roads being made wider.
- Cutting down trees for timber.
