Corymbia pocillum facts for kids

Corymbia pocillum is a type of tree that grows only in a small part of Queensland, Australia. It has rough, flaky bark on its trunk and sometimes on its larger branches. The bark higher up is smooth. This tree has spear-shaped adult leaves, white flowers that grow in groups of seven, and fruit that looks like an urn or is almost round.

What Does Corymbia pocillum Look Like?

Corymbia pocillum is a tree that usually grows up to 10 m (33 ft) (about 33 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree regrow if it gets damaged, like from a bushfire.

Leaves and Flowers

Young plants have smooth, long, and narrow leaves. These leaves can be up to 180 mm (7.1 in) (about 7 inches) long and 30 mm (1.2 in) (about 1 inch) wide.

Adult leaves are arranged in an alternating pattern along the branches. They are a dull green color on both sides and are shaped like a spear. These leaves are usually between 80 mm (3.1 in) and 205 mm (8.1 in) (about 3 to 8 inches) long. They are also 7 mm (0.28 in) to 30 mm (1.2 in) (about 0.3 to 1 inch) wide.

The flower buds grow at the ends of the branches. They are arranged in groups of seven. Each group of buds is on a small stalk. The mature buds are oval or pear-shaped. They are about 5 mm (0.20 in) to 6 mm (0.24 in) (about 0.2 inches) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) to 6 mm (0.24 in) wide. Each bud has a rounded cap.

This tree blooms with white flowers between April and July.

Fruit

After flowering, the tree produces a woody fruit. This fruit is called a capsule. It is shaped like an urn or is almost perfectly round. The fruit can be about 180 mm (7.1 in) (about 7 inches) long and 30 mm (1.2 in) (about 1 inch) wide. It has a thin, flared rim.

How it Got its Name

Corymbia pocillum was first officially described in 1987. Two botanists, Denis John Carr and Stella Grace Maisie Carr, gave it the name Eucalyptus pocillum. They wrote about it in their book, Eucalyptus II - The rubber cuticle, and other studies of the Corymbosae. They found the first samples of this tree near Georgetown and Normanton in 1971.

Later, in 1995, two other botanists, Ken Hill and Lawrie Johnson, changed its name to Corymbia pocillum. They published this change in a science journal called Telopea.

The second part of its name, pocillum, comes from a Latin word. It means "a little cup," which likely refers to the shape of its fruit.

Where Corymbia pocillum Lives

This type of eucalypt tree grows in sandy soil. You can find it in areas with sandstone and granite rocks. It grows around the town of Normanton in Queensland, Australia. It also grows south of Normanton, towards Hughenden.

Is it Endangered?

The Queensland Government lists Corymbia pocillum as a species of "least concern." This means that, for now, there are enough of these trees. They are not considered to be at high risk of disappearing.