Red tingle Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Red tingle

Red tingle in the Valley of the Giants
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	jacksonii

Eucalyptus jacksonii, commonly known as the red tingle, is a species of tall tree endemic to the south west Western Australia and is one of the tallest trees found in the state. It has thick, rough, stringy reddish bark from the base of the trunk to the thinnest branches, egg-shaped to lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and shortened spherical to barrel-shaped fruit.

Description
Taxonomy and naming
Distribution and habitat
- Gallery
See also

Description

Eucalyptus jacksonii is a tree that typically grows to a height of 8 to 45 metres (26 to 148 ft) and has thick, rough, stringy and furrowed grey-brown or red-brown bark. The bases of very old, heavily buttressed trees can have a circumference up to 24 metres (79 ft). While some references have red tingle reaching heights of up to 75m, the tallest known living tree stands at 52 m (171 ft) tall. The crown is dense and compact, forming a heavy canopy. Young plants and coppice regrowth have broadly egg-shaped leaves that are dark green on the upper surface, paler below, 120–170 mm (4.7–6.7 in) long and 60–100 mm (2.4–3.9 in) wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, dark green on the upper surface, paler below, egg-shaped to lance-shaped, 60–95 mm (2.4–3.7 in) long and 12–25 mm (0.47–0.98 in) wide on a petiole 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven on an unbranched peduncle 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long. Mature buds are an elongated oval, 7–8 mm (0.28–0.31 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide with a conical operculum. Flowering occurs between January and March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody shortened spherical to barrel-shaped capsule 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 in) long and 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) wide on a pedicel 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) long and with the valves enclosed below the level of the rim.

The trees often have shallow root systems and grow a buttressed base.

The heartwood is deep pink to reddish brown with a green-wood density of about 960 kg/m³ (1,620 lb/cu yd), and air-dried density about 770 kg/m³ (1,300 lb/cu yd).

One specimen, known as the "Giant Tingle Tree" is a tourist attraction in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park near Walpole. Its base has been hollowed by fire and it is claimed to have the largest girth of any living eucalypt.

The red tingle is often compared to the other two species - the yellow tingle (Eucalyptus guilfoylei) and Rate's tingle (Eucalyptus brevistylis) are smaller. The red tingle is more closely related to Rate's tingle, both of which belong to the subgenus Eucalyptus.

Taxonomy and naming

The species was first described by the botanist Joseph Maiden in 1914 in the Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. Eucalyptus jacksonii is named after Sidney William Jackson, an Australian naturalist and ornithologist. Jackson collected the specimens used by Maiden near the "Deep River", Nornalup Inlet and "Bow River", Irwin's Inlet.

Distribution and habitat

The distribution of the species has been shrinking due to climate change over millions of years. They are now found primarily in Walpole-Nornalup National Park and in a few isolated sites outside the park in the Walpole area at the juncture of the South West and Great Southern regions along the south coast of Western Australia where it grows on hillsides and in gullies in loamy soils.

The trees often occur with Eucalyptus marginata (jarrah) and Eucalyptus diversicolor (karri) and Corymbia calophylla (marri) trees. The red tingle also can occur with Eucalyptus guilfoylei (yellow tingle) and Eucalyptus brevistylis (Rate's tingle) and are the dominant species in the stands in which they occur.