Woodline mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Woodline mallee |
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| Eucalyptus cylindrocarpa growing near Balladonia | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
cylindrocarpa
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The woodline mallee, officially known as Eucalyptus cylindrocarpa, is a special type of mallee tree. It only grows naturally in Western Australia, meaning it is endemic to that area. This eucalyptus usually has smooth bark, but sometimes you can find loose, flaky bark near the bottom of its trunk. Its adult leaves are long and narrow, or slightly curved. You can spot its flower buds growing in groups of seven, nine, or eleven. When the tree produces fruit, they are shaped like small cylinders or barrels.
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What Does the Woodline Mallee Look Like?
The woodline mallee is a type of mallee tree that typically grows to be about 3 to 10 meters (10 to 33 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow after a fire.
Bark and Leaves
The bark on the lower part of the trunk is often rough, fibrous, and greyish or reddish-brown. Higher up, the bark is smooth and can be grey over pink. The leaves of the adult woodline mallee grow in an alternating pattern. They are thick and have the same shiny green color on both sides. These leaves are usually long and narrow, or slightly curved, measuring about 60 to 100 millimeters (2.4 to 3.9 inches) long and 5 to 13 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) wide. Each leaf has a stalk, called a petiole, which is about 8 to 17 millimeters (0.3 to 0.7 inches) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds grow in groups of seven, nine, or eleven. They appear in the axils (the angle between a leaf and a stem) of the leaves. These groups of buds are on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 5 to 17 millimeters (0.2 to 0.7 inches) long. Each individual bud has its own small stalk, or pedicel, about 3 to 7 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) long.
When the buds are ready to open, they are cylindrical, about 7 to 13 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long and 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. They have a cone-shaped or beaked cap, called an operculum. The woodline mallee flowers are white and usually bloom from November to December or from January to April. After flowering, the tree produces woody, cylindrical to barrel-shaped fruits. These fruits are called capsules and are about 6 to 12 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long and 4 to 6 millimeters (0.2 to 0.2 inches) wide. The valves (parts that open to release seeds) are either at the rim of the fruit or hidden inside.
Where Does the Woodline Mallee Grow?
The woodline mallee is found in sandy plains and low sand dunes. It mainly grows between the towns of Kellerberrin and Zanthus in Western Australia. You can find it in areas of shrubland and woodland. It prefers to grow in red clayey sand or sandy soils. This tree is common in the south-western Goldfields-Esperance and south-east Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia.
How Was This Tree Named?
The Eucalyptus cylindrocarpa was first officially described by a botanist named William Blakely in 1934. He wrote about it in his book, A Key to the Eucalypts. The very first sample of this plant, called the type specimen, was collected by John Burton Cleland in 1926. He found it near a place called Woodbine, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) south of Coolgardie.
The scientific name cylindrocarpa comes from two Ancient Greek words. Kylindros means "roller" or "roll of a book," and karpos means "fruit." These words were chosen because the fruit of this tree is shaped like a cylinder.
