Eucalyptus placita facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grey ironbark |
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| Leaves, flower buds, and flowers of the Grey Ironbark | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
placita
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The Eucalyptus placita, often called grey ironbark or just ironbark, is a type of tree. It is usually small to medium-sized. This tree is found only in New South Wales, Australia. It has rough, grey bark that feels soft, which is unusual for an ironbark. Its leaves are glossy green and shaped like a spear. The tree produces white flowers from buds that grow in groups of seven. After flowering, it forms cone-shaped fruits.
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What Does the Grey Ironbark Look Like?
The Grey Ironbark tree typically grows to be about 25 to 30 meters tall. It has a special woody base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree regrow if it gets damaged.
Bark and Leaves
The bark on its trunk and branches is rough and grey. It has deep grooves but feels surprisingly soft for an ironbark tree.
Young plants and new shoots (called coppice regrowth) have different leaves. These leaves are broadly egg-shaped. They are shiny bright green on top and paler underneath. They are about 50 to 80 millimeters long and 30 to 50 millimeters wide. These young leaves have a stalk (a petiole) connecting them to the stem.
Adult leaves are arranged one after another along the stem. They are also glossy green on top and paler below. These leaves are shaped like a spear. They measure about 60 to 120 millimeters long and 15 to 35 millimeters wide. Their stalks are about 10 to 20 millimeters long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds usually grow in groups of seven. They are found on a branched stalk (a peduncle) at the ends of the tree's small branches. This main stalk is about 6 to 17 millimeters long. Each individual bud sits on a smaller stalk (a pedicel) that is 3 to 8 millimeters long.
When the buds are ready, they are oval, club-shaped, or diamond-shaped. They are about 6 to 7 millimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. Each bud has a cap (called an operculum) that can be cone-shaped or have a beak-like tip.
The Grey Ironbark flowers in April, June, September, and October. Its flowers are white. After the flowers, the tree produces a woody, cone-shaped fruit. This fruit is a type of capsule. It is about 5 to 9 millimeters long and 5 to 7 millimeters wide. The parts that open to release seeds are below the rim of the fruit.
How Did the Grey Ironbark Get Its Name?
The Grey Ironbark was first officially described in 1990. Two botanists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill, wrote about it. They published their description in a science journal called Telopea.
The tree's scientific name, placita, comes from a Latin word. Placitus means "pleasing." This name was chosen because of the lovely color of the tree's leaves.
Where Does the Grey Ironbark Grow?
The Grey Ironbark tree likes to grow in moist areas. You can find it along the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. Its range stretches from a town called Cessnock all the way up to Kempsey.
