Newdegate mallee facts for kids

The Newdegate mallee (scientific name: Eucalyptus neutra) is a special type of tree or bush called a mallee. It only grows in the southwest part of Western Australia. This plant has smooth, greyish bark and long, thin leaves. Its flower buds usually grow in groups of seven, and the flowers are pale yellow to white. The fruit of the Newdegate mallee looks like a small barrel.

What Does It Look Like?

The Newdegate mallee is a type of eucalyptus tree that usually grows about 4 to 6 meters (13 to 20 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow after fires.

Its bark is smooth and can be cream-colored or tan. It peels off in short strips, showing new bark that is salmon pink or copper-colored underneath.

Leaves and Flowers

Young plants and new shoots have egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves. These leaves are about 3.5 to 8 centimeters (1.4 to 3.1 inches) long and 1.8 to 4 centimeters (0.7 to 1.6 inches) wide. They have a dull, bluish-green color, which is called glaucous.

Adult leaves are arranged alternately along the stem. They are lance-shaped and have the same dull bluish-green color on both sides. These leaves are typically 5 to 11 centimeters (2 to 4.3 inches) long and 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. They grow on a leaf stalk called a petiole, which is about 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) long.

The flower buds grow where the leaves meet the stem, usually in groups of seven. They are on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 5 to 13 millimeters (0.2 to 0.5 inches) long. Each individual bud sits on a smaller stalk called a pedicel, about 3 to 6 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long.

Mature buds are also glaucous and oval-shaped. They are 11 to 17 millimeters (0.4 to 0.7 inches) long and 3 to 6 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide. They have a beak-shaped or horn-shaped cap called an operculum.

The Newdegate mallee flowers between November and February. Its flowers are pale yellow to white.

Fruit

After flowering, the plant produces a woody fruit. This fruit is a barrel-shaped or shortened spherical capsule. It is 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long and 5 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. The parts that open to release seeds, called valves, stick out strongly above the rim of the fruit.

How It Got Its Name

The Newdegate mallee was first officially described in 1999 by a scientist named Dean Nicolle. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Australian Systematic Botany. The plants he studied were collected near a town called Newdegate.

The scientific name neutra comes from a Latin word meaning "middle." This name was chosen because this species seems to be in between two other eucalyptus species: E. flocktoniae and E. aff transcontinentalis.

Where Does It Grow?

The Newdegate mallee is found on flat areas and hillsides. It grows between ridges and along the sides of roads. You can find it in several regions of Western Australia, including the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Esperance Plains and Mallee areas. It prefers to grow in gravelly sandy-clay-loam soils. Its range extends from near Lake King towards Corrigin and Jerramungup.

Conservation Status

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