Brittle gum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brittle gum |
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| Eucalyptus mannifera in the Australian National Botanic Gardens | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
mannifera
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The Brittle Gum, also called Red Spotted Gum, is a tree found only in south-eastern Australia. It's a small to medium-sized tree. You can spot it by its smooth, powdery white bark. Its leaves are long and curved. It has white flowers that grow from buds in groups of seven. The fruit looks like a small cup.
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What Does the Brittle Gum Look Like?
The Brittle Gum usually grows to be about 20 to 25 meters tall. That's like a seven-story building! It has smooth, white, or grey bark that feels powdery. Sometimes, the bark has red patches. It peels off in small pieces or ribbons.
Young Brittle Gum plants have long, narrow leaves. These leaves are about 4 to 10 centimeters long. Older trees have longer, curved leaves. They are green on both sides and can be up to 18.5 centimeters long. These leaves have a small stalk called a petiole.
The flowers grow in groups of seven. Each group sits on a small stalk called a peduncle. The individual flower buds are oval-shaped. They have a cap, called an operculum, which falls off when the flower opens.
When Does It Flower?
Brittle Gum trees have white flowers. They usually bloom between January and May. After flowering, the tree produces fruit. The fruit is woody and shaped like a cup or a cone. It's about 3 to 5 millimeters long.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The Brittle Gum was first officially described in 1834. A person named Robert Mudie wrote about it. He found a sample of the tree in the Blue Mountains in Australia.
Mudie gave the tree its scientific name, Eucalyptus mannifera. He also called it the "manna gum tree." The word mannifera means "bearing manna." Manna is a sweet, sticky substance that sometimes comes out of the tree.
Different Types of Brittle Gum
In 1962, a scientist named Lawrie Johnson studied the Brittle Gum more closely. He found that there are three slightly different types, or subspecies, of Eucalyptus mannifera. These are:
- Eucalyptus mannifera subsp. gullickii
- Eucalyptus mannifera subsp. mannifera
- Eucalyptus mannifera subsp. praecox
Where Does the Brittle Gum Grow?
The Brittle Gum is common in south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria. It likes to grow in shallow, rocky soils.
The subspecies praecox and gullickii are only found in New South Wales. They have wider leaves compared to the mannifera subspecies.
See also
In Spanish: Eucalipto quebradizo para niños
