Eucalyptus pellita facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Large-fruited red mahogany |
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| Flowers and buds of Eucalyptus pellita | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
pellita
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The Large-fruited Red Mahogany (scientific name: Eucalyptus pellita) is a type of medium to tall tree. It is found only in north-eastern Queensland, Australia. This tree has rough, fibrous bark on its trunk and branches. It also has long, shiny leaves, white flowers, and cup-shaped fruits.
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What Does the Large-fruited Red Mahogany Look Like?
The Eucalyptus pellita is a tree that usually grows up to 40 meters (about 130 feet) tall. That's as tall as a 10-story building! It has rough bark that can be greyish or reddish. This bark is fibrous, meaning it looks like threads, or flaky.
Its adult leaves are glossy green on top and a lighter green underneath. They are shaped like a wide spear or an egg, about 10 to 23 centimeters (4 to 9 inches) long and 3 to 6.5 centimeters (1 to 2.5 inches) wide. These leaves have a stalk called a petiole that is 1.8 to 3.5 centimeters (0.7 to 1.4 inches) long.
The tree's flower buds grow in groups of seven. They are found where the leaves meet the stem (called a leaf axil). Each group of buds grows on a flat stem called a peduncle, which is 1.2 to 3.2 centimeters (0.5 to 1.3 inches) long. Each individual bud has a short stalk called a pedicel, about 6 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long.
When the buds are ready to open, they are oval-shaped, about 1.5 to 1.6 centimeters (0.6 inches) long and 0.9 to 1 centimeter (0.4 inches) wide. They have a pointy or beak-shaped cap called an operculum. This cap protects the flower parts inside.
The large-fruited red mahogany has white flowers. They have been seen blooming in February and October. After flowering, the tree produces woody fruits. These fruits are shaped like a cup or a cone. They are 0.6 to 1.1 centimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long and 0.8 to 1.4 centimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) wide. The parts that release the seeds, called valves, stick out strongly from the fruit's rim.
How Was This Tree Named?
The scientific name Eucalyptus pellita was first officially described in 1864. This was done by a botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He was a government botanist for Victoria, a state in Australia. He wrote about the tree in his book Fragmenta phytographiae Australiae. The plants he studied were collected near Rockingham Bay by John Dallachy.
The second part of the scientific name, pellita, comes from a Latin word. It means "covered with skin." This might refer to how the leaves look or feel.
Where Does This Tree Grow?
The large-fruited red mahogany grows in open forests. It prefers gentle slopes. You can find this tree in wet, near-coastal forests. Its range stretches north from Abergowrie in Queensland all the way to Papua New Guinea.
Is This Tree Endangered?
The Queensland Government lists this eucalypt as "least concern" under its Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means that the tree is not currently considered to be at risk of becoming extinct.
