Eucalyptus persistens facts for kids

Eucalyptus persistens is a type of small tree that grows only in Queensland, Australia. It's known for its rough, dark grey bark. This tree has long, green leaves, and its flowers are white. After flowering, it produces fruit that looks like a small cup or barrel.

What Does This Eucalyptus Look Like?

Eucalyptus persistens is usually a tree, but sometimes it grows as a mallee. A mallee is a type of plant that has many stems growing from a large, woody base underground. This tree can grow up to 12 m (39 ft) tall. It also has a special woody lump called a lignotuber at its base. This lignotuber helps the tree regrow if it gets damaged, like by a bushfire.

Bark and Leaves

The bark on the trunk and branches of Eucalyptus persistens is rough and dark grey. When the tree is young, or when new shoots grow from a cut or damaged plant (this is called coppice regrowth), its leaves are dull and bluish. These young leaves are long and narrow, like a spear, measuring about 45–100 mm (1.8–3.9 in) long and 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) wide.

As the tree gets older, its adult leaves become lance-shaped. They are the same shade of green on both sides. These leaves are usually 70–140 mm (2.8–5.5 in) long and 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) wide. Each leaf narrows down to a stalk called a petiole, which is about 5–17 mm (0.20–0.67 in) long.

Flowers and Fruit

The flower buds of Eucalyptus persistens usually grow in groups of seven. They are found at the ends of the tree's small branches. Each group of buds sits on a main stalk called a peduncle, which is 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) long. Each individual bud has its own tiny stalk, or pedicel, about 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) long.

Mature buds are shaped like an oval or a pear. They are 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) wide. The top part of the bud, which covers the flower, is called an operculum. It can be cone-shaped, rounded, or have a beak-like tip.

This eucalyptus tree blooms between April and October. Its flowers are white. After the flowers, the tree produces a woody fruit called a capsule. This fruit is shaped like a cup or a barrel and is about 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide. Inside, the parts that release the seeds are close to the rim of the fruit.

How This Tree Got Its Name

Eucalyptus persistens was first officially described in 1991. Two scientists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill, gave it its scientific name. They collected samples of the tree in 1984 and then wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea.

The second part of its scientific name, persistens, comes from a Latin word meaning "persisting." This name was chosen because of two features that "persist" or stay on the tree: its outer operculum (the cap on the flower bud) and its rough bark.

Where Does This Eucalyptus Grow?

This special tree is found in the northeastern part of Queensland, Australia. You can find it in areas between towns like Laura, Mareeba, Hughenden, Forsayth, and Marlborough.

Is This Tree Protected?

The Queensland Government lists Eucalyptus persistens as a species of "least concern" under its Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means that, for now, there are plenty of these trees around, and they are not considered to be at risk of disappearing.