Flanged mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Flanged mallee |
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| Eucalyptus armillata flowers (pale creamy yellow form) | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
armillata
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Eucalyptus armillata, also known as the red-flowered mallee, is a special type of eucalyptus tree that grows only in the south-western part of Western Australia. It has smooth bark and long, narrow leaves. Its flower buds hang down in groups of three, and the flowers are usually red, though sometimes they can be a pale creamy yellow. The fruit of this tree has cool ribs and a double ring around its edge.
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About the Red-Flowered Mallee
The Eucalyptus armillata is a mallee, which means it's a type of eucalyptus that usually grows as a shrub or small tree with multiple stems from the ground. It can grow up to about 7 meters (23 feet) tall. This tree has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after fires.
Its bark is smooth and changes color from pale grey to white, then to pink or reddish-purple. Young plants and new shoots have dull green, narrow, spear-shaped leaves. The adult leaves are glossy, narrow, and spear-shaped. They are about 55 to 110 millimeters (2 to 4 inches) long and 7 to 14 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) wide.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds of the red-flowered mallee hang downwards. They usually grow in groups of three on a thick stalk called a peduncle, which is about 13 to 31 millimeters (0.5 to 1.2 inches) long. Each flower has its own smaller stalk, called a pedicel, up to 40 millimeters (1.6 inches) long.
When the buds are ready, they look like two cones joined at the bottom. They are about 18 to 23 millimeters (0.7 to 0.9 inches) long and 7 to 11 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. They have a noticeable rim or "flange" just below the cap, which is called the operculum. The flowers are usually a vibrant red, but sometimes they can be a pale creamy yellow.
After the flowers bloom, the fruit forms. The fruit looks similar to the flower buds, about 10 to 14 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long and 7 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) wide. They have ribs on their sides and a double rim around the edge.
How It Got Its Name
Eucalyptus armillata was first officially described in 2012. Two scientists, Dean Nicolle and Malcolm E. French, studied a plant they found near Wongan Hills and gave it its scientific name. They published their findings in a science journal called Nuytsia.
The second part of its name, armillata, comes from a Latin word. It means "decorated with a bracelet." This name was chosen because of the clear, bracelet-like rim or "flange" found at the top of the flower cup and around the edge of the fruit.
Where It Lives
The red-flowered mallee grows in areas with mallee vegetation. This means it's found in places where many small, multi-stemmed eucalyptus trees grow together. It usually grows on flat ground.
You can find this tree in Western Australia, from places near Coorow and Calingiri all the way to areas near Beacon and Wubin. These areas are part of different natural regions like the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, and Mallee biogeographic regions.
Looking After This Tree
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Eucalyptus armillata. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means that, for now, there are enough of these trees, and they are not in danger of disappearing.
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