Coastal silver mallee facts for kids

The Coastal Silver Mallee (scientific name: Eucalyptus ecostata) is a special type of mallee tree. It grows only in the coastal areas of Western Australia. This plant is known for its smooth, greyish bark. It also has long, curved leaves, and its flowers are a creamy white color.

About the Coastal Silver Mallee

What Does It Look Like?

The Coastal Silver Mallee is a type of mallee plant. This means it has many stems growing from a woody base called a lignotuber. It usually grows up to 6 meters (about 20 feet) tall.

When the plant is young, or when new shoots grow, its leaves are dull green and shaped like an oval. They can be up to 30 mm long and 20 mm wide. As the plant gets older, its leaves become shiny and dark green. These adult leaves are shaped like a spear, about 70-110 mm long and 13-17 mm wide.

The flowers of the Coastal Silver Mallee are quite interesting. They grow in groups of 11 to 15 buds. These groups hang down from a stalk called a peduncle, which is about 10-15 mm long. Each individual flower bud sits on a smaller stalk called a pedicel, about 5-8 mm long.

Before they open, the flower buds are yellowish. They are about 13-19 mm long and 4-7 mm wide. Each bud has a long, cone-shaped cap called an operculum. This cap protects the flower inside. When the flowers open, they are creamy white.

After the flowers, the plant produces fruit. This fruit is a woody, flattened, and somewhat round capsule. It is about 6-12 mm long and 7-12 mm wide. The parts that open to release seeds are called valves. These valves are usually level with the edge of the fruit or stick out a little.

How Did It Get Its Name?

This eucalypt was first officially described in 1911 by a scientist named Joseph Maiden. He first called it Eucalyptus falcata var. ecostata. Later, in 2012, two other scientists, Dean Nicolle and Malcolm French, changed its status to a full species.

The special part of its name, ecostata, comes from Latin words. The word costata means "ribbed." The prefix e- means "out of" or "without." So, ecostata means "without ribs." This name describes a feature of the plant.

Where Does It Grow?

The Coastal Silver Mallee grows in mallee shrublands. It can be found in different types of soil. You can find it in areas near the coast of Western Australia. Its range stretches between the Stirling Range and Stokes Inlet. It also grows a bit further inland, up to the Ravensthorpe Range. This plant is found in several natural regions of Western Australia, including the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, and Mallee areas.

Is It Endangered?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Coastal Silver Mallee. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.