Drummond's gum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Drummond's mallee |
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| Eucalyptus drummondii near Wongan Hills | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
drummondii
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Drummond's mallee, also called Drummond's gum, is a special type of Eucalyptus tree or shrub. It's called a mallee because it often has many stems growing from its base. This plant is endemic, which means it grows naturally only in the southwest part of Western Australia.
Drummond's mallee has smooth bark. Its adult leaves are shaped like narrow eggs. The flowers are white and grow in groups of seven. After flowering, it produces round, woody fruits.
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What Does Drummond's Mallee Look Like?
Drummond's mallee usually grows as a shrub about 3 to 4 meters tall. Sometimes, it can grow into a tree up to 8 meters tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow after fires.
Its bark is smooth and can be white, pink, or grey. Young plants have egg-shaped leaves, about 55 to 80 mm long. Adult leaves are grey-green and narrower, about 32 to 80 mm long. These leaves grow on a small stalk called a petiole.
The flower buds grow in groups of seven. Each group is on a stalk called a peduncle. The individual buds are oval-shaped, about 8 to 18 mm long. They have a pointy cap called an operculum.
Drummond's mallee mostly flowers from September to December. Its flowers are white. After the flowers, it forms woody, round fruits. These fruits are about 5 to 9 mm long and 8 to 12 mm wide.
How Was Drummond's Mallee Named?
The scientific name for this plant, Eucalyptus drummondii, was first officially described in 1867. This was done by a botanist named George Bentham. He wrote about it in his book Flora Australiensis.
Bentham named the species after James Drummond. Drummond was a botanist who collected a sample of this plant. He found it between the Swan River and King George's Sound in Western Australia.
Where Does Drummond's Mallee Grow?
Drummond's mallee likes to grow in hilly areas. It prefers soils that come from laterite, which is a type of reddish soil. Sometimes, it grows over granite rock.
You can find this plant in Western Australia. It grows in an area stretching from Eneabba to Wongan Hills, Bridgetown, and Woodanilling. It lives in several different natural regions, including the Avon Wheatbelt and Jarrah Forest.
Conservation Status
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at Drummond's mallee. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
