Eucalyptus dolichocera facts for kids

The Eucalyptus dolichocera is a special type of eucalyptus tree that mostly grows as a shrub with many stems. It is found only in Western Australia. This plant has rough, ribbon-like bark near its base, which turns smooth and grey or brownish higher up. Its adult leaves look like the tip of a spear, and its flowers are yellow to cream-colored. The flower buds grow in groups of seven, and its fruit looks like a small cup or urn.

What it Looks Like

The Eucalyptus dolichocera is usually a mallee, which means it's a shrub with many stems growing from the ground. It can sometimes grow into a small tree. It usually reaches about 6 meters (20 feet) tall.

Its bark is rough and peels off in ribbons, especially on the lower part of the trunk (about 2 to 3 meters or 6 to 10 feet). This bark is usually grey-brown or red-brown. Higher up, the bark becomes smooth and can be grey or brownish.

Leaves

Young plants and new shoots (called coppice regrowth) have leaves that grow in pairs, one across from the other. These young leaves are shaped like a spearhead. They are slightly glaucous, meaning they have a dull, bluish-green color, like they're covered in a fine powder. They can be up to 70 millimeters (2.8 inches) long and 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) wide.

Adult leaves grow in an alternating pattern along the stem. They are also spear-shaped but are a dull green color. These leaves are usually 70 to 130 millimeters (2.8 to 5.1 inches) long and 13 to 25 millimeters (0.5 to 1 inch) wide. Each leaf has a stem, called a petiole, which is about 15 to 18 millimeters (0.6 to 0.7 inches) long.

Flowers and Fruit

The flower buds of the Eucalyptus dolichocera grow in groups of seven. Each group sits on a main stalk called a peduncle, which is 10 to 16 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long. Each individual bud has its own small stem, called a pedicel, about 4 to 8 millimeters (0.16 to 0.3 inches) long.

When the buds are ready to open, they are oval-shaped, about 13 to 20 millimeters (0.5 to 0.8 inches) long and 3 to 5 millimeters (0.12 to 0.2 inches) wide. They have a narrow, cone-shaped cap, called an operculum, which can be up to three times longer than the base of the flower (the floral cup).

This plant flowers between October and November. Its flowers are a lovely yellow to cream color. After flowering, the plant produces woody fruits. These fruits are shaped like a cup or an urn and are about 7 to 9 millimeters (0.28 to 0.35 inches) long and 6 to 8 millimeters (0.24 to 0.31 inches) wide. The parts that release the seeds (called valves) are tucked inside the rim of the fruit.

Where it Comes From

The Eucalyptus dolichocera was first officially described in 1999. Two botanists, Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson and Ken Hill, wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea.

The first plant used to describe the species (called the type specimen) was collected in 1975. It was found by Ian Brooker and Donald Blaxell about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northeast of Kalbarri in Western Australia.

The plant's scientific name, dolichocera, comes from two Ancient Greek words:

• dolichos means "long"
• keros means "horn"

This name refers to the long, narrow cap (operculum) on its flower buds.

This species belongs to a large group of eucalypts called Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus. It looks quite similar to another eucalyptus species called Eucalyptus moderata.

Where it Grows

This mallee plant grows in different types of soil, including laterite (a reddish soil), limestone, or sand. You can find it on sand dunes, flat areas, and sandplains.

Its natural home stretches from just north of Geraldton down to Dowerin and Wongan Hills in Western Australia. It grows in several different natural areas, including the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee, and Yalgoo biogeographic regions.

Conservation Status

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified Eucalyptus dolichocera as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.

Images for kids

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  Flower buds

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  Fruit