Tropical red box facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tropical red box
Eucalyptus brachyandra near Kununurra
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	brachyandra

The Tropical Red Box (scientific name: Eucalyptus brachyandra) is a special type of tree or large bush. It grows only in the north-western parts of Australia. This plant can look a bit messy, like a "straggly tree." It can also grow as a "mallee," which means it has many stems coming from the ground.

This tree has rough, stringy bark on its main trunk. But its smaller branches have smooth, grey, or white bark. When the Tropical Red Box is fully grown, its leaves are shaped like eggs or ovals. It has tiny flower buds that grow in small groups. These flowers are a pretty creamy white color. After the flowers, it grows small, woody fruits that can look like cups or bells. You can find this unique plant in the Kimberley area of Western Australia and the Top End of the Northern Territory.

What Does the Tropical Red Box Look Like?

The Tropical Red Box is usually a straggly tree. It can grow to be about 8 to 10 meters (26 to 33 feet) tall. Sometimes, it grows as a shrub or a mallee. This plant has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after fires.

Its bark is rough and stringy on the main trunk. Sometimes, it's also rough on the bigger branches. The bark on the smaller branches is smooth and can be grey or white.

Leaves and Flowers

Young plants and new shoots have leaves shaped like eggs or circles. These leaves are about 2.5 to 8 centimeters (1 to 3 inches) long. They are 1.5 to 6 centimeters (0.6 to 2.4 inches) wide. These young leaves grow in pairs opposite each other on a small stem called a petiole.

Adult leaves are usually oval or egg-shaped. They are about 3.3 to 9.7 centimeters (1.3 to 3.8 inches) long. They are also 0.9 to 4.5 centimeters (0.4 to 1.8 inches) wide. These leaves also have a petiole, which is about 0.8 to 2.6 centimeters (0.3 to 1 inch) long. The two sides of the adult leaves are slightly different shades of dull, pale green.

The flowers grow in groups of three or seven. They appear at the ends of the branches or where the leaves meet the stem. These flower groups grow on a small stalk called a peduncle, which is 1 to 10 millimeters (0.04 to 0.4 inches) long. Each tiny flower bud sits on an even smaller stalk called a pedicel, up to 4 millimeters (0.16 inches) long.

The mature flower buds look like small pears. They are about 2.5 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.16 inches) long. They are also 2 to 2.5 millimeters (0.08 to 0.1 inches) wide. Each bud has a rounded cap called an operculum.

Flowering and Fruit

The Tropical Red Box mainly blooms from August to November. Its flowers are a lovely creamy white color. After the flowers, the plant produces small, woody fruits. These fruits are called capsules. They can be shaped like a cup, a bell, or an urn. They are very small, only about 2 to 3 millimeters (0.08 to 0.12 inches) long and wide. They are among the smallest fruits in the Eucalyptus family!

How Did It Get Its Name?

The scientific name Eucalyptus brachyandra was first officially given in 1859. A famous botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller described it. He found a sample of the tree near the Victoria River. He wrote about it in a science journal.

The second part of its name, brachyandra, comes from ancient Greek words. "Brachys" means "short," and "aner" (or "andros") means "male." This name might refer to the short stamens (the male parts) of the flower.

Where Does the Tropical Red Box Grow?

The Tropical Red Box is found in rocky places. It often grows in cracks in rocks. You can see it in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Here, it grows in sandy soil over sandstone or quartzite rock.

It also grows in the north-west of the Northern Territory. Its range stretches from south of Darwin, Northern Territory down to the Western Australian border. It likes to live on sandstone plateaus and the tops of ridges.

Is the Tropical Red Box Safe?

The government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Tropical Red Box. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.