Eucalyptus pleurocorys facts for kids

Eucalyptus pleurocorys is a special kind of Eucalyptus plant that grows only in Western Australia. It can be a mallee, which is a shrubby tree with many stems, or sometimes a small tree. This plant is unique because it has rough, flaky bark on the lower part of its trunk, but smooth bark higher up. Its leaves are shaped like a spear or are slightly curved, and its flower buds grow in small groups. When the flowers are done, they turn into cone-shaped fruits.

What Does This Eucalyptus Look Like?

Eucalyptus pleurocorys usually grows as a mallee, reaching about 5 m (16 ft) tall. Sometimes, it can grow into a small tree up to 10 m (33 ft) high. The bark on the bottom 3 m (9.8 ft) of its trunk is rough, like a fiber or flaky. Above that, the bark is smooth and greyish.

Its adult leaves are shiny and bright green. They are shaped like a spear or are slightly curved, measuring between 50 mm (2.0 in) and 120 mm (4.7 in) long, and 8 mm (0.31 in) to 20 mm (0.79 in) wide. These leaves grow on a somewhat flat stem called a petiole, which is about 9 mm (0.35 in) to 17 mm (0.67 in) long.

The flower buds grow in groups of seven, nine, or eleven, right where the leaves meet the stem (this spot is called a leaf axil). These groups of buds are on a flat stalk called a peduncle, which is also 9 mm (0.35 in) to 17 mm (0.67 in) long. Each individual bud sits on a ribbed little stem called a pedicel, about 3 mm (0.12 in) to 6 mm (0.24 in) long.

When the buds are ready, they are oval-shaped, about 8 mm (0.31 in) to 10 mm (0.39 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) to 5 mm (0.20 in) wide. They have a cup-shaped cap, called an operculum, which is narrower than the base of the flower (the floral cup) where they join. After flowering, the fruit is a woody, cone-shaped capsule. It's about 5 mm (0.20 in) to 7 mm (0.28 in) long and 6 mm (0.24 in) to 8 mm (0.31 in) wide, and its parts (called valves) stick out a little bit from the rim.

How Was This Eucalyptus Discovered and Named?

The Eucalyptus pleurocorys was officially described for the first time in 2001. Two botanists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill, gave it its scientific name. They published their findings in a science journal called Telopea. The plant samples they used to describe it were collected in 1983, about 120 km (75 mi) south of the Balladonia Roadhouse.

Where Does This Eucalyptus Grow?

This special mallee grows in many different places, from mallee scrub (areas with many mallee plants) to woodlands and heathlands. You can find it in areas that haven't been explored much, between Caiguna and the Cape Arid National Park in Western Australia.