Darke Peak mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Darke Peak mallee |
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| Eucalyptus cretata seedling in Maranoa Gardens | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
cretata
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| E. cretata, field distribution | |
The Darke Peak mallee, also called the chalky mallee, is a special type of eucalyptus tree. Its scientific name is Eucalyptus cretata. This plant is only found in a small area of South Australia. It usually grows as a mallee, which means it has many stems growing from the ground. Sometimes, it can be a small, thin tree.
This unique plant has smooth bark that is whitish and grey. Its adult leaves are shaped like a spear. The flower buds are a pale, chalky green colour and grow in groups of seven. When it flowers, it has white blossoms. The fruit looks like a cup, barrel, or cone.
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What Does the Darke Peak Mallee Look Like?
The Eucalyptus cretata is usually a mallee. This means it grows with many stems from a special woody base called a lignotuber. It can reach about 4 metres (13 feet) tall.
Its bark is smooth and grey, with a coppery colour underneath. The bark peels off in long strips. The younger branches are often shiny red or brownish-green and have a chalky, pale coating.
Leaves and Flowers
Young plants and new shoots have egg-shaped or wide, spear-shaped leaves. These leaves are also pale and chalky, measuring about 45 to 100 millimetres (1.8 to 3.9 inches) long and 25 to 50 millimetres (1.0 to 2.0 inches) wide.
Adult leaves are spear-shaped and the same colour on both sides. They are about 78 to 150 millimetres (3.1 to 5.9 inches) long and 13 to 35 millimetres (0.5 to 1.4 inches) wide. These leaves grow on a stalk called a petiole, which is 12 to 28 millimetres (0.5 to 1.1 inches) long.
The flower buds grow in groups of seven. They are found where the leaves meet the stem. Each group of buds sits on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 5 to 15 millimetres (0.2 to 0.6 inches) long. Each individual bud has a small stalk up to 4 millimetres (0.2 inches) long.
Mature buds are pale and chalky. They are shaped like a cylinder or an oval, about 8 to 14 millimetres (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long and 4 to 8 millimetres (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. They have a ribbed, cone-shaped or rounded cap called an operculum.
The Darke Peak mallee flowers at different times throughout the year. Its flowers are white. After flowering, it produces a woody fruit. This fruit is a capsule shaped like a cup, barrel, or cone. It is about 6 to 10 millimetres (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long and 7 to 11 millimetres (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. The fruit often has a chalky coating when it is young.
How the Darke Peak Mallee Got Its Name
The Eucalyptus cretata was officially described in 1990. Two scientists, Peter Lang and Ian Brooker, gave it its scientific name. They found a sample of the plant near Darke Peak in 1989. Their description was published in the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
The second part of its scientific name, cretata, comes from a Latin word. It means "marked with chalk". This name was chosen because the plant's branches and flower buds often have a pale, chalky coating.
Where the Darke Peak Mallee Lives
The Darke Peak mallee grows in special plant areas called mallee communities. These communities are found in the central part of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. You can find them between places like Caralue Bluff Conservation Park, Lock, and Cowell.
