Eucalyptus delicata facts for kids

The Eucalyptus delicata is a special type of tree that grows only in Western Australia. It's known for its unique bark, which is rough and scaly on the bottom part of the trunk. Higher up, the bark is smooth and can be white or grey. This tree also has long, narrow leaves, creamy white flowers, and round or barrel-shaped fruits.

What Does This Tree Look Like?

The Eucalyptus delicata is usually a tree. It typically grows to be about 5 to 16 meters (16 to 52 feet) tall. Sometimes, it can also grow as a "mallee," which is a type of eucalyptus that has many stems growing from a large underground woody base called a lignotuber.

Its Bark and Leaves

This tree has rough, fibrous, or scaly grey bark on its lower trunk. The bark higher up is smooth and can be grey or copper-colored. Young plants and new shoots have long, narrow leaves. These leaves are arranged in a spiral pattern along the stem and have very short or no stalks.

Adult leaves are arranged differently. They grow alternately along the stem. These glossy green leaves are about 70 to 100 millimeters (2.8 to 3.9 inches) long. They are also about 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide. Each adult 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 flowers of the Eucalyptus delicata grow in groups of seven, nine, or eleven. These groups appear in the leaf axils, which are the spots where the leaves join the stem. Each group of flowers grows on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 7 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long. Each individual flower bud has its own small stalk, called a pedicel, about 2 to 5 millimeters (0.08 to 0.2 inches) long.

Mature flower buds are oval-shaped. They are 5 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and about 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide. The top part of the bud, called the operculum, is shaped like a cone or is rounded. It is 2 to 5 millimeters (0.08 to 0.2 inches) long. This tree usually flowers in March or April, and its flowers are a lovely creamy white color.

After flowering, the tree produces fruit. The fruit is a woody capsule that is somewhat spherical or barrel-shaped. It is about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.2 inches) long and wide. The fruit also sits on a small stalk, or pedicel, about 2 to 4 millimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) long. Inside the fruit are flattened, oval-shaped seeds that are brown-grey and about 1 to 3 millimeters (0.04 to 0.12 inches) long.

How This Tree Got Its Name

Discovery and Naming

The Eucalyptus delicata was officially described in 1999. Two botanists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill, formally named it. They published their description in a science journal called Telopea.

The first example specimen, known as the type specimen, was collected in 1986. Johnson, Hill, and another botanist named Donald Frederick Blaxell found it. They collected it about 10 kilometers (6 miles) west of the Coolgardie–Esperance Highway, on the way to Peak Charles National Park.

Its Family Tree

This eucalyptus species belongs to a large group of eucalypts called the Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus. It is part of a smaller group within that, known as the section Bisectae and the subsection Destitutae. It is closely related to other eucalyptus trees like the E. longicornis, E. oleosa, and E. longissima.

What "Delicata" Means

The specific part of its botanical name (delicata) comes from a Latin word. "Delicata" means "tender," "dainty," or "fastidious." This name was chosen because of the tree's small buds and fruits.

Where Does This Tree Grow?

The Eucalyptus delicata is found in flat areas of Western Australia. It grows in specific natural areas called the Coolgardie and Mallee biogeographic regions. You can find it growing in red clay or sandy-loamy soils.

Is This Tree Endangered?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the status of Eucalyptus delicata. They have classified it as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.