Many flowered mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Many flowered mallee |
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| Eucalyptus cooperiana near Condingup, Western Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
cooperiana
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The Many-flowered Mallee (Eucalyptus cooperiana) is a special kind of eucalyptus tree. It grows only in a certain area along the south coast of Western Australia. People say it looks "striking" because of its smooth, white bark. Its branches also have sharp angles.
This tree has adult leaves shaped like spears. Its flower buds grow in groups of nine to thirteen or more. The flowers are a creamy yellow color. After the flowers, it grows fruit shaped like an urn.
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What it Looks Like
The Many-flowered Mallee is a small tree. It usually grows to be about 2 to 5 meters (6 to 16 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree regrow after a fire.
The bark is smooth and powdery. It is white over pale grey or pinkish on most of the tree. Some rough, grey bark can be found at the base. A botanist named Charles Gardner said the tree looks "striking." This is because of its smooth, white bark and sharply angled branches.
Leaves
Young plants and new shoots have leaves that sit directly on the stem. These leaves are elliptic to spear-shaped. They are arranged in opposite pairs. They can be 35 to 100 mm (1.4 to 3.9 in) long. They are also 25 to 60 mm (1.0 to 2.4 in) wide.
Adult leaves are arranged in an alternating pattern. They are spear-shaped and glossy green or bluish on both sides. These leaves are 65 to 105 mm (2.6 to 4.1 in) long. They are 10 to 25 mm (0.4 to 1.0 in) wide. Each adult leaf has a stalk called a petiole, which is 13 to 28 mm (0.5 to 1.1 in) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds grow in groups of nine, eleven, or thirteen (or more). They are found where the leaves meet the stem (called axils). These groups hang down on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 7 to 18 mm (0.3 to 0.7 in) long. Each individual bud sits on a smaller stalk called a pedicel, 4 to 9 mm (0.2 to 0.4 in) long.
Mature buds are oval or cylindrical. They are 6 to 11 mm (0.2 to 0.4 in) long and 4 to 5 mm (0.2 to 0.2 in) wide. The top part of the bud, called the operculum, is flattened or rounded. It is shorter than the base of the flower, which is called the floral cup.
The Many-flowered Mallee blooms between October and December, or between January and March. Its flowers are creamy yellow. The fruit is a woody, urn-shaped capsule. It is 5 to 10 mm (0.2 to 0.4 in) long and 7 to 9 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) wide. This fruit also hangs down on a pedicel, which is 4 to 7 mm (0.2 to 0.3 in) long.
How it Got its Name
The Eucalyptus cooperiana was first officially described in 1880. This was done by a botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He included it in his work called Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.
The first plant sample, called the type specimen, was collected by George Maxwell. The second part of the scientific name, cooperiana, honors Ellwood Cooper. He was a gardener from California. Ellwood Cooper brought many types of Eucalyptus trees to the United States. He also wrote a book about growing them.
Where it Lives
The Many-flowered Mallee grows on sandy plains. You can find it along the south coast of Western Australia. It lives between the towns of Esperance and Israelite Bay. This area is part of the Goldfields-Esperance region. The tree grows in sandy-clay soils that are found over limestone.
Is it Safe?
The Government of Western Australia's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at this eucalypt. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
