Corymbia serendipita facts for kids

Corymbia serendipita is a special kind of tree found only in northern Queensland, Australia. It's often called a "bloodwood" tree. This tree has rough, flaky bark on its trunk and smooth bark higher up. Its leaves are shaped like a spear, and its flower buds grow in groups of seven. After the flowers, it produces interesting urn-shaped fruits.

What it Looks Like

Corymbia serendipita is a tree that usually grows up to about 12 meters (around 40 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree grow back if it gets damaged, for example, by fire.

The bark on the lower part of the trunk is thin and can be flaky or look like a checkerboard pattern (this is called "tessellated"). Higher up, the bark is smooth and can be white, cream, or grey, often looking powdery.

Young trees and new shoots that grow after the tree is cut (called coppice regrowth) have green leaves. These leaves are spear-shaped, about 60 to 120 millimeters (2.4 to 4.7 inches) long and 12 to 18 millimeters (0.5 to 0.7 inches) wide. The underside of these leaves is a lighter green.

Adult leaves are a dull light green or greyish-green, also lighter on the bottom. They are shaped like a spear or slightly curved. These leaves are about 75 to 180 millimeters (3 to 7 inches) long and 17 to 70 millimeters (0.7 to 2.8 inches) wide. They narrow down to a stalk called a petiole, which is about 10 to 25 millimeters (0.4 to 1 inch) long.

The flower buds grow at the ends of the branches. They are arranged on a thin, branched stalk called a peduncle, which is about 2 to 16 millimeters (0.08 to 0.6 inches) long. Each branch of the peduncle holds seven buds, and each bud has its own small stalk called a pedicel, about 1 to 11 millimeters (0.04 to 0.4 inches) long.

When the buds are ready, they are oval or pear-shaped, about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) long and 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) wide. They have a rounded cap on top called an operculum, which sometimes has a tiny point in the middle. These trees have been seen flowering in February.

The fruit of Corymbia serendipita is a woody, urn-shaped capsule. It's about 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long and 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. It has a short neck, and the parts that open to release the seeds (called valves) are hidden inside the fruit.

How it Got its Name

This bloodwood tree was first officially described in 1994 by two botanists, Ian Brooker and David Kleinig. They first named it Eucalyptus serendipita. They wrote about it in their book, Field Guide to Eucalypts, Volume 3, after collecting samples near Forsayth in 1992.

Later, in 2002, another botanist named Anthony Bean changed its name to Corymbia serendipita. This new name was published in a science journal called Austrobaileya.

Where it Lives

Corymbia serendipita grows in thin, sandy soil on sandstone hills. You can find it in the ranges between the towns of Georgetown, Einasleigh, and Forsayth, and also south to the White Mountains in Queensland.

Its Conservation Status

This tree species is listed as being of "least concern" by the Queensland Government under their Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means that it is not currently considered to be at risk of disappearing.