Blotchy bloodwood facts for kids

The blotchy bloodwood (Corymbia stockeri) is a type of small tree. It is found only in the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, Australia. This tree has rough bark on its trunk and branches. Its leaves are shaped like a spear, and its flowers are a creamy white color. The fruit of the blotchy bloodwood looks like a small barrel or urn.

What the Blotchy Bloodwood Looks Like

The blotchy bloodwood tree usually grows to be about 12 to 20 meters (around 40 to 65 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree regrow after a fire.

The bark on the trunk and branches is thick and soft. It can be scaly or flaky and has a reddish color. Young plants have leaves that are oval or spear-shaped. These leaves are shiny green on top and paler underneath. They are about 6 to 12 centimeters (2.4 to 4.7 inches) long.

Older leaves are also shiny green on top and paler below. They are spear-shaped and measure about 8 to 21.5 centimeters (3.1 to 8.5 inches) long. These leaves grow on a stalk called a petiole, which is about 8 to 25 millimeters (0.3 to 1 inch) long.

The tree's flower buds grow in groups of seven on the ends of its branches. Each group of buds is on a main stalk called a peduncle. The individual buds are on smaller stalks called pedicels.

When the buds are ready, they are pear-shaped or oval. They are about 6 to 8 millimeters (0.24 to 0.31 inches) long. The top part of the bud, called the operculum, is rounded. Blotchy bloodwood trees have been seen flowering in February, and their flowers are creamy white.

After flowering, the tree produces woody fruits. These fruits are shaped like a barrel or an urn. They are about 10 to 17 millimeters (0.39 to 0.67 inches) long. The parts that release the seeds are hidden inside the fruit.

How the Blotchy Bloodwood Got its Name

The blotchy bloodwood was first officially described in 1987. Two scientists, Denis John Carr and Stella Grace Maisie Carr, gave it the name Eucalyptus stockeri. They wrote about it in their book Eucalyptus II - The rubber cuticle, and other studies of the Corymbosae.

The first samples of the tree, called the type specimens, were collected by Geoffrey Stocker in 1973. He found them near Mutchilba.

Later, in 1995, two other scientists, Ken Hill and Lawrie Johnson, changed the tree's name. They moved it to a different group, so its new name became Corymbia stockeri. They published this change in a science journal called Telopea. The name stockeri was chosen to honor Geoffrey Stocker, who collected the first samples.

In 2002, another scientist named Anthony Bean described two slightly different types, or subspecies, of the blotchy bloodwood. These names are now accepted:

• Corymbia stockeri subsp. peninsularis (named by A.R.Bean) is a smaller tree. Its buds are not scurfy (flaky), and its adult leaves are duller than the other type.
• Corymbia stockeri subsp. stockeri (named by D.J.Carr & S.G.M.Carr, then changed by K.D.Hill & L.A.S.Johnson) is the original type.

Where the Blotchy Bloodwood Lives

The stockeri subspecies of the blotchy bloodwood grows in woodlands. It prefers stony ridges where there isn't much soil. This type is only found west of Atherton, in an area called Stannary Hills.

The peninsularis subspecies is found in more places. It grows in forests and woodlands. You can find it on riverbanks and gently sloping hills. Its range stretches from some of the Torres Strait Islands south to the Palmer River on Cape York.

Is the Blotchy Bloodwood Protected?

The Queensland Government has a law called the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Under this law, the blotchy bloodwood is listed as being of "least concern." This means that it is not currently considered to be at risk of disappearing.