Eucalyptus aspersa facts for kids

The Eucalyptus aspersa is a special kind of tree or bush, often called a mallee. It only grows in the South West part of Western Australia. This plant usually has rough bark, long, thin leaves, white flowers, and fruit shaped like a small pot.

What Does Eucalyptus aspersa Look Like?

The Eucalyptus aspersa is often a mallee, which means it's a shrub with many stems growing from the ground. It usually grows up to about 4 meters (13 feet) tall. But in some places, like Mount Saddleback, it can grow into a taller tree, reaching up to 8 meters (26 feet) high.

At the bottom of its trunk, it has a special woody swelling called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow after fires. Its bark is rough and can be fibrous or flaky. It's usually light grey to yellowish and might hang loosely from the stems.

Leaves

Young plants and new shoots (called coppice regrowth) have leaves that are oval or egg-shaped. These leaves are bluish-green and measure about 20 to 75 millimeters (0.8 to 3 inches) long. They are also about 14 to 30 millimeters (0.6 to 1.2 inches) wide.

The adult leaves are shaped like a spearhead and are a bit shiny, light green in color. They are usually 55 to 120 millimeters (2.2 to 4.7 inches) long and 10 to 20 millimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. These leaves grow on a stalk called a petiole, which is 5 to 20 millimeters (0.2 to 0.8 inches) long.

Flowers and Fruit

The white flowers of the Eucalyptus aspersa grow in groups. Each group has seven or more flowers. These groups are found on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 5 to 12 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long. Each individual flower sits on a smaller stalk called a pedicel, about 2 to 4 millimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) long.

Before they open, the flower buds are narrow and oval-shaped. They are about 8 to 11 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) long and 3 to 4 millimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) wide. The cap that covers the bud, called the operculum, looks like a beak and is 5 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long.

After the white flowers bloom, the plant produces woody fruit. These fruits are mostly round or cup-shaped. They are 14 to 30 millimeters (0.55 to 1.2 inches) long. The seeds inside are brown or grey, oval-shaped, and about 9 to 11 millimeters (0.35 to 0.43 inches) long.

How Eucalyptus aspersa Got Its Name

The scientific name Eucalyptus aspersa was first officially described in 1993. Two scientists, Stephen Hopper and Ian Brooker, wrote about it after Brooker collected a sample in 1985. This sample was found near the Albany Highway, north of the Serpentine River crossing.

Their description was published in a science magazine called Nuytsia. The second part of the name, aspersa, comes from a Latin word meaning "scattered" or "sprinkled." This refers to how this plant is found spread out in different places.

Where Does Eucalyptus aspersa Live?

This special eucalypt lives in the southern part of the Wheatbelt region in Western Australia. You can find it between Toodyay in the north, Collie in the west, and south to Woodanilling.

It grows in areas with lateritic gravel and sandy loam soils, often near granite rocks. It prefers flat areas and ridges where the soil is a mix of gravel, sand, and loam over granite.