Mongarlowe mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mongarlowe mallee |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
recurva
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The Mongarlowe mallee (scientific name: Eucalyptus recurva) is a very rare type of mallee shrub. It grows only in a small part of New South Wales, Australia. This special plant has smooth bark and unique small leaves. Its flowers are white, and it produces small, round fruits. There are only six of these plants left in the wild, making it "critically endangered." This means it's in great danger of disappearing forever.
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What Does the Mongarlowe Mallee Look Like?
The Mongarlowe mallee is a shrub that usually grows between 1.5 and 4.2 meters (about 5 to 14 feet) tall. It has many stems growing from a special woody base called a lignotuber. This lignotuber helps the plant survive fires and regrow.
Its bark is smooth and can be grey, orange, green, or yellow. It peels off in long strips. Young plants have small, oval-shaped leaves that are about 10-20 mm long and 4-8 mm wide. These leaves grow in pairs directly opposite each other on the stem.
Older plants have a crown (the top part of the plant) made up of these same small, young-looking leaves. These leaves are paler on their underside and can be up to 32 mm long. Their tips often curve downwards.
The flowers grow in groups of three. They are found where the leaves meet the stem. Each group of flowers sits on a short stalk, about 3-5 mm long. The flower buds are broadly oval and wrinkled. They are about 4-5 mm long and 3-4 mm wide. When they bloom in January, the flowers are white.
After flowering, the plant produces woody, round fruits. These fruits are about 3-4 mm long and 4-5 mm wide.
How Old Can These Plants Get?
The Mongarlowe mallee plants still growing in the wild are thought to be incredibly old. Scientists believe the largest one might be around 3,000 years old! This guess is based on the size of its woody base (lignotuber), which grows very slowly.
Some experts even think that two other plants might actually be parts of the same original plant. If this is true, and considering how far they have spread (26 meters), they could be as old as 13,000 years! If this is correct, it would make the Mongarlowe mallee the oldest known living tree on Earth.
How Was It Discovered and Named?
The Eucalyptus recurva was officially described in 1988 by a scientist named Michael Crisp. The plant was first found by a local landowner, Ms. R. Jean, near a town called Braidwood in 1985. She brought samples of the plant to the Australian National Botanic Gardens.
The scientific name recurva comes from a Latin word that means "curved backwards." This name was chosen because the leaves of this mallee often curve downwards, which is a special feature of the plant.
Where Does the Mongarlowe Mallee Live?
The Mongarlowe mallee is found in very specific places. It grows on slopes in low heathland areas. Heathland is a type of open land with small shrubs. It also grows where these heathlands meet low woodlands.
This plant is only known from six individual plants. They are spread across four different locations near the towns of Mongarlowe and Windellama in New South Wales.
Why Is It Endangered?
The Mongarlowe mallee is listed as "critically endangered." This means it faces a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild. Both the Australian and New South Wales governments have laws to protect it.
The biggest danger to these plants comes from people visiting the areas where they grow. This "visitation pressure" includes things like:
- People collecting parts of the plant.
- Soil getting squashed down, which makes it hard for the plant to grow.
- Damage caused by vehicles driving too close to the plants.
Protecting these few remaining plants is very important to help the Mongarlowe mallee survive.
