Corymbia blakei facts for kids

The Corymbia blakei, often called the ghost gum, is a special kind of tree found only in Queensland, Australia. It gets its name "ghost gum" because of its smooth, pale bark. This tree usually has long, thin adult leaves, and its flowers are a creamy white color. After flowering, it produces interesting barrel-shaped fruits.

What Does the Ghost Gum Look Like?

The Corymbia blakei is a tree that can grow up to about 10 meters (around 33 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber, which helps it regrow if there's a fire.

Its bark is usually smooth and powdery, ranging from white to creamy grey. On older trees, you might see a short "stocking" of rough, dark grey bark at the bottom.

When the tree is young, or when new shoots grow from the base (called coppice regrowth), its leaves are shaped like hearts, eggs, or ovals. These young leaves are about 2 to 6 centimeters (about 1 to 2.5 inches) long and 1 to 3 centimeters (about 0.4 to 1.2 inches) wide.

The adult leaves are green on both sides. They are long and narrow, sometimes slightly curved, measuring about 4 to 13 centimeters (about 1.5 to 5 inches) long and 0.3 to 1.8 centimeters (about 0.1 to 0.7 inches) wide. They narrow down to a stalk called a petiole, which is about 0.3 to 1.7 centimeters (about 0.1 to 0.7 inches) long.

The flower buds grow in the leaf axils (the angle between a leaf and the stem). They are usually in groups of three on a small stalk called a peduncle. Each bud has its own tiny stalk, or pedicel, about 1 to 4 millimeters long.

When the buds are ready to open, they are pear-shaped, about 4 to 5 millimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. They have a rounded cap, called an operculum, which falls off when the flower blooms. The ghost gum flowers are creamy white and have been seen blooming in December.

After the flowers, the tree produces woody fruits. These fruits are like capsules, shaped like barrels, cups, or cylinders. They are about 6 to 10 millimeters long and 5 to 9 millimeters wide. The parts that release the seeds, called valves, are tucked inside the fruit.

How the Ghost Gum Got Its Name

The Corymbia blakei was officially described in 1995 by two botanists, Ken Hill and Lawrie Johnson. They studied samples of the tree that were collected by Stanley Thatcher Blake in 1936.

The second part of the tree's scientific name, blakei, was chosen to honor Stanley Thatcher Blake, who collected the first important samples of this tree.

Where Does the Ghost Gum Live?

This ghost gum tree is found only in a specific part of Queensland, Australia. This area is mostly dry and includes parts of South West and Central West Queensland. You can find it from the Cory Range, which is southwest of a town called Winton, all the way to the upper parts of the Paroo and Bulloo Rivers, between the towns of Charleville and Quilpie.

Is the Ghost Gum Protected?

The Corymbia blakei (specifically the C. blakei subsp. blakei) is currently listed as being of "least concern" by the Queensland Government. This means that, for now, there are plenty of these trees, and they are not considered to be at risk of disappearing. This classification is under the Queensland Government's Nature Conservation Act 1992.