Spinning gum facts for kids

The Eucalyptus perriniana, often called spinning gum, is a special kind of tree or shrub-like plant. It grows naturally in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and Tasmania in Australia. Spinning gum likes to live in high, cold places, usually where snow covers the ground for a few months each winter. But, if people grow them in their gardens, these trees can live in many different mild climates.

What Does Spinning Gum Look Like?

Spinning gum trees can sometimes grow as tall as 20 m (70 ft). They can also grow as a mallee, which means they have many stems growing from the ground. The bark on these trees is smooth and often looks like copper when it's new. As it gets older, the bark changes to white, grey, or green. Each year, it peels off in short strips.

The grown-up leaves are shaped like a spear. They are grey-green and about 80–120 mm (3–5 in) long and 12–25 mm (0.5–1 in) wide. Younger leaves are rounder and grow in pairs opposite each other on the stem. They do not have a small stalk connecting them to the branch.

The flowers of the spinning gum grow in groups of three. The flower buds are small, about 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.1–0.2 in) wide. The caps on the buds are shaped like a cone or half a sphere. After the flowers, the fruit grows. It is about 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.2–0.3 in) wide.

Where Does Its Name Come From?

The spinning gum was first officially described in 1894. This description was made by a scientist named Leonard Rodway. He used notes from another scientist, Ferdinand von Mueller, who had not yet published his findings. Rodway's description was printed in a scientific paper called Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania.

Rodway did not say why he chose the name perriniana for the tree. However, there was a person named George Samuel Perrin. He was in charge of forests in Tasmania from 1886 to 1887. Later, he became the Conservator of Forests in Victoria in 1888. It is thought that the tree was named after him.

Where Does Spinning Gum Grow?

Spinning gum trees grow in open forests. They are found on high, cold plains. You can see them in New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, and Tasmania.

Is Spinning Gum in Danger?

Yes, this type of eucalyptus tree is considered "rare" in Tasmania. The Tasmanian Government has a law called the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995. This law helps protect plants and animals that are in danger. In Tasmania, there are only about 1,000 spinning gum plants known to exist. This means it's very important to protect them.

Images for kids

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  foliage and flowers

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  mature leaves and buds

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  mature fruit

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  juvenile foliage and trunk

See also

In Spanish: Eucalyptus perriniana para niños