Eucalyptus × balanopelex facts for kids

Eucalyptus × balanopelex is a special type of Eucalyptus tree. It's called a mallee, which means it's a shrubby tree with many stems growing from the ground. This plant is found only in a small part of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, long leaves, and pretty creamy-white flowers. After the flowers, it grows fruit that looks like a half-sphere.

Scientists believe this plant is a hybrid. This means it's a mix of two other eucalyptus species. These are E. kessellii subsp. eugnosta and E. semiglobosa.

What Does It Look Like?

Eucalyptus × balanopelex is a mallee. It usually grows up to 4 metres (13 ft) tall. It also 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 pale grey or brownish. The leaves on young plants are dull green and egg-shaped. They are about 60–110 mm (2–4 in) long and 35–50 mm (1–2 in) wide. These young leaves always have a stalk, called a petiole.

Adult leaves are shaped like a spearhead. They are about 65–120 mm (3–5 in) long and 13–30 mm (0.5–1 in) wide. Their petiole is 10–25 mm (0.4–1 in) long. Both sides of the adult leaves are usually shiny green. They have many tiny veins that form a dense network.

The flowers grow in groups of seven or nine. They hang from a stalk called a peduncle, which is 8–25 mm (0.3–1 in) long. Each flower has its own small stalk, a pedicel, about 3–9 mm (0.1–0.4 in) long.

The flower buds are oval-shaped. They are 12–19 mm (0.47–0.75 in) long and 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) wide. Each bud has a cone-shaped cap called an operculum. This cap is about 50% longer than the base of the flower, called the floral cup.

The flowers are a lovely creamy-white color. After flowering, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is a capsule shaped like a half-sphere. It is 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) long and 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) wide. The parts that release the seeds stick out above the rim of the fruit.

The Australian Plant Census confirms that this species is a natural hybrid. It is a mix between E. kessellii subsp. eugnosta and E. semiglobosa.

How It Got Its Name

Eucalyptus × balanopelex was first officially described in 1992. Two botanists, Lawrie Johnston and Ken Hill, gave it its name. They published their description in a science journal called Telopea.

The second part of its name, balanopelex, comes from Ancient Greek words. Balanos means "acorn" or "barnacle". Pelex means "a helmet". These words describe the shape of the operculum, which is the cap on the flower bud.

Where Does It Grow?

This special eucalypt grows in a low, flat sandy area. This area is located near a town called Esperance in Western Australia.

In 2012, two other scientists, Dean Nicolle and Malcolm French, suggested something important. They believed that E. balanopelex is indeed a hybrid. Because it's a hybrid, they thought it should not be on the list of plants that are in danger. Now, it is no longer listed as a threatened plant by FloraBase.