Howitt's box facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Howitt's box
Illustration of Eucalyptus howittiana from Eucalyptographia
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	howittiana

Howitt's box, also known as Eucalyptus howittiana, is a special type of tree. It is found only in a small area of Queensland, Australia. This tree has rough, flaky bark on its trunk and branches. Its adult leaves are shaped like a spear or an egg. When it flowers, it has creamy white blossoms, and its fruit looks like a small, round or barrel-shaped capsule.

Discovering Howitt's Box

Howitt's box is a tree that usually grows up to 25 metres (about 82 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree regrow if it gets damaged, for example, by a bushfire.

The bark on the trunk and branches is rough and grey. It feels fibrous and flaky. On older trees, the bark often has cracks or a pattern like tiles.

Leaves and Stems

Young Howitt's box plants have stems that are mostly square. Their leaves are egg-shaped, about 80 to 110 mm long and 30 to 65 mm wide.

Adult leaves are shaped like a spear or an egg. They are typically 70 to 130 mm long and 16 to 42 mm wide. The base of the leaf narrows down to a stalk called a petiole, which is 10 to 21 mm long. The tip of the leaf often has a small point, like a drip-tip.

Flowers and Fruit

The flower buds of Howitt's box grow in groups of seven, nine, or eleven. These groups are found at the ends of the branches. They usually sit on a short, unbranched stalk called a peduncle, which is 2 to 6 mm long.

Mature buds are shaped like a spindle, about 5 to 6 mm long and 2 mm wide. They have a cone-shaped cap called an operculum. This cap is longer than the base of the flower, known as the floral cup.

Howitt's box flowers between January and May. Its flowers are a lovely creamy white colour. After flowering, the tree produces woody fruit. These fruits are called capsules and are shaped like a short sphere or a barrel. They are about 2 to 3 mm long and wide. The parts that open to release the seeds are hidden inside the fruit.

How Howitt's Box Got Its Name

The scientific name for this tree, Eucalyptus howittiana, was first officially described in 1882. This was done by a famous botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He wrote about it in a publication called The Southern Science Record.

The second part of its scientific name, howittiana, honours a remarkable person named Alfred William Howitt. He was a bushman, explorer, botanist, geologist, and even a magistrate.

Where Howitt's Box Lives

Howitt's box grows in hilly areas in the tropical, sub-coastal part of northeastern Queensland. You can find it between the cities of Townsville and Cairns. It also grows up to 160 km (about 100 miles) inland from the coast.

This tree prefers sandy, well-drained soils that are often thin, on rocky cliffs and slopes. It grows in different types of ground. It is usually part of woodland communities, often alongside other eucalypt trees. Sometimes, it can be found at the edge of semi-deciduous vine thickets, which are like dense, leafy forests.

Protecting Howitt's Box

The Queensland Government has a law called the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Under this law, Howitt's box is classified as "least concern." This means that the tree is not currently at high risk of disappearing. It is considered to be a common and widespread species in its natural habitat.