Black-stemmed mallee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Black-stemmed mallee
Eucalyptus arachnaea near Walebing
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	arachnaea
Synonyms
Eucalyptus redunca var. melanophloia Benth.

The Eucalyptus arachnaea, often called the black-stemmed mallee, is a special type of mallee (a small, multi-stemmed tree) or a regular tree. It grows only in Western Australia. This plant is easy to spot because of its rough, stringy bark and long, thin leaves. It also produces pretty white flowers.

What it Looks Like

The black-stemmed mallee can grow as a small mallee plant, reaching about 7 meters (23 feet) tall. It can also grow into a larger tree, up to 10 meters (33 feet) tall. Its bark is rough and stringy, usually dark grey or blackish-grey.

Young plants have leaves that are somewhat triangular or broad and spear-shaped. These leaves are about 12 millimeters (0.5 inches) long and 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) wide. As the plant gets older, its leaves become more spear-shaped. Adult leaves can be up to 90 millimeters (3.5 inches) long and 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) wide.

The flowers are white or cream-colored. They grow in groups of up to thirteen on a stalk called a peduncle, which can be up to 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) long. Before they open, the flower buds look like spindles. They are about 18 millimeters (0.7 inches) long and 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide. Each bud has a horn-shaped cap called an operculum.

After the flowers bloom, they turn into small, cylinder-shaped fruits. These fruits are about 7 millimeters (0.3 inches) long and 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) wide. The black-stemmed mallee usually flowers from April to May.

How it Got its Name

The black-stemmed mallee was first described in 1867 by a scientist named George Bentham. He gave it a long scientific name: Eucalyptus redunca var. melanophloia.

Later, in 1991, two other scientists, Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper, decided it was a unique species. They gave it the new name Eucalyptus arachnaea. The word arachnaea comes from a Latin word meaning "spidery." This name was chosen because the flower buds often grow in a cluster that looks a bit like a spider.

Brooker and Hopper also found two slightly different types, or subspecies, of Eucalyptus arachnaea:

• Eucalyptus arachnaea subsp. arachnaea: This is the mallee type, growing to about 7 meters (23 feet) tall.
• Eucalyptus arachnaea subsp. arrecta: This type grows into a taller tree, up to 10 meters (33 feet), and has shinier leaves.

Where it Grows

You can find the black-stemmed mallee in different places across Western Australia. It grows on slopes, in gullies, and in areas where the land breaks away. It is common in the coastal parts of the Mid West and further south into the Wheatbelt region.

This plant likes to grow in sandy-clay-loamy soils. These soils are often found over granite or laterite rock. You can see it from Northampton in the north down to Brookton.

The subspecies arrecta is only found in one specific area near Morawa.

Is it Protected?

Overall, the black-stemmed mallee is considered "not threatened." This means there are enough of these plants, and they are not in danger of disappearing.

However, one of its subspecies, Eucalyptus arachnaea subsp. arrecta, is listed as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife. This means that while it's not in immediate danger, scientists don't know much about it, and it's only found in a few places. So, they keep an eye on it to make sure it stays safe.

Images for kids

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  The rough, stringy bark of the black-stemmed mallee.

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  Close-up of the spindle-shaped flower buds.