Nawa mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nawa mallee |
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| Eucalyptus eremicola near Ooldea | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
eremicola
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The Nawa mallee, also called Vokes Hill mallee, is a special type of mallee tree. Its scientific name is Eucalyptus eremicola. This plant grows naturally in parts of South Australia and Western Australia.
It has rough bark near its base, but the bark higher up is smooth. Its adult leaves are long and narrow, shaped like a spear. The Nawa mallee produces white flowers, and its flower buds grow in groups of nine to fifteen. After flowering, it forms round, shortened fruits.
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About the Nawa Mallee Plant
The Nawa mallee is usually a mallee, which means it's a small, bushy tree with many stems growing from the ground. Sometimes, it can grow as a single-stemmed tree. It typically reaches a height of 4 to 7 meters (about 13 to 23 feet). This plant has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after fires or damage.
The lower part of its stems has rough, flaky bark that is light grey-brown. The bark higher up is smooth and sheds off.
Leaves of the Nawa Mallee
The adult leaves of the Nawa mallee are shiny green on both sides. They are long and narrow, shaped like a spear, measuring about 45 to 100 millimeters (1.8 to 3.9 inches) long. They are about 6 to 17 millimeters (0.2 to 0.7 inches) wide. Each leaf is attached to the stem by a small stalk called a petiole, which is about 5 to 10 millimeters long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds grow in the leaf axils, which are the angles between a leaf and the stem. These buds are on a stalk called a peduncle, about 5 to 10 millimeters long. Each individual bud has a tiny stem called a pedicel, which is 2 to 3 millimeters long.
When the buds are ready, they are oval-shaped, about 6 to 8 millimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. They have a cone-shaped cap called an operculum. The Nawa mallee flowers between March and May, and its flowers are white.
After flowering, the plant produces woody, round fruits. These fruits are about 3 to 6 millimeters long and 4 to 6 millimeters wide. They have parts called valves that stick out beyond the rim, with the remains of the style (a part of the flower) still attached.
How the Nawa Mallee Got Its Name
The Nawa mallee, Eucalyptus eremicola, was officially described in 1975 by a scientist named Clifford David Boomsma. He studied a plant sample collected in 1967 near Serpentine Lakes in the Great Victoria Desert of South Australia. His description was published in a science journal called South Australian Naturalist.
The scientific name eremicola comes from two old words. Eremos is an Ancient Greek word meaning "solitary" or "lonely." The Latin suffix -cola means "dweller" or "inhabitant." So, eremicola means "lonely dweller," likely referring to where it grows in the desert.
Different Types of Nawa Mallee
In 2005, another scientist, Dean Nicolle, described two slightly different types, or subspecies, of Eucalyptus eremicola. These types are:
- Eucalyptus eremicola subsp. eremicola
- Eucalyptus eremicola subsp. peeneri
The eremicola subspecies usually has narrower, shinier leaves than the peeneri subspecies. However, it's common to find plants that are a mix of both types. The peeneri subspecies was once known by a different name, Eucalyptus oleosa var. peeneri.
Where the Nawa Mallee Lives
The Nawa mallee grows in areas with low shrubs on sandy plains and sand dunes. It prefers loamy-sandy soils. You can find it in the Great Victoria Desert region of both South Australia and Western Australia. It also grows in the northwest part of the Little Sandy Desert and as far west as towns like Sandstone and Leonora.
Conservation Status
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified the Vokes Hill mallee as "not threatened." This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
See also
- List of Eucalyptus species
Images for kids
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Flower buds of Eucalyptus eremicola
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Fruit of Eucalyptus eremicola
