Eucalyptus suggrandis facts for kids

The Eucalyptus suggrandis is a special type of mallee tree. It only grows in the southwest part of Western Australia, which means it is endemic there. This plant has smooth, shiny bark and leaves that can be long and thin or more oval-shaped. Its flowers are creamy white and grow in small groups. After the flowers, it produces fruit that looks like a cup or cone.

What Does It Look Like?

The Eucalyptus suggrandis is a mallee, which means it's a type of eucalyptus that usually grows as a shrub with many stems from the ground, rather than a single trunk. It typically reaches a height of about 1 to 5 meters (about 3 to 16 feet). It also has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber, which helps it regrow after fires.

Its bark is smooth and shiny, often greyish or brownish. Young plants have long, narrow leaves, about 40-70 mm (1.5-2.7 inches) long and 5-10 mm (0.2-0.4 inches) wide. These leaves are attached directly to the stem without a stalk.

As the plant gets older, its leaves become glossy green on both sides. They are about 40-85 mm (1.5-3.3 inches) long and 4-25 mm (0.1-1 inch) wide. These adult leaves have a small stalk, called a petiole, up to 9 mm (0.35 inches) long.

The flower buds grow in groups of three or seven. They are found where the leaves meet the stem. These buds sit on a flat stalk, called a peduncle, which is 5-20 mm (0.2-0.8 inches) long. Each individual bud also has its own small, flat stalk, called a pedicel, 3-8 mm (0.1-0.3 inches) long.

When the buds are ready to open, they are oval or spindle-shaped, about 11-20 mm (0.4-0.8 inches) long and 4-7 mm (0.1-0.2 inches) wide. They have a cap, called an operculum, which is often warty and about twice as long as the base of the flower.

This eucalyptus usually flowers between November and March. Its flowers are a beautiful creamy white color. After flowering, the plant produces woody, cup-shaped or cone-shaped fruits. These fruits are about 6-12 mm (0.2-0.5 inches) long and 5-9 mm (0.2-0.35 inches) wide.

How It Got Its Name

The Eucalyptus suggrandis was officially described in 1992 by two botanists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill. They wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea. They found the first samples of this plant in Fitzgerald River National Park in 1988.

The plant's scientific name, suggrandis, comes from Latin. It means "rather large." This name was chosen because its buds are quite big compared to those of similar plants like E. spathulata and E. vergrandis.

Johnson and Hill also described two types, or subspecies, of Eucalyptus suggrandis. However, only one of these is still considered a subspecies of Eucalyptus suggrandis. The other type was later recognized as its own separate species, called Eucalyptus alipes.

Today, the Australian Plant Census recognizes two subspecies of Eucalyptus suggrandis:

• Eucalyptus suggrandis subsp. promiscua D.Nicolle & Brooker: This subspecies has flower buds that grow in groups of three.
• Eucalyptus suggrandis L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill subsp. suggrandis: This subspecies has flower buds that grow in groups of seven.

Where Does It Grow?

This mallee plant is found in the Goldfields-Esperance and Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia. It likes to grow in sandy-clay-loam soils. You can find it on flat sandy areas, on small hills, along natural water paths, and in areas where the land breaks away into cliffs. The soil often sits over quartzite, laterite, or granite rock.

The subspecies promiscua grows more to the west. You can find it in areas between Pingaring, Jerramungup, and Lake King.

Is It Safe?

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the Eucalyptus suggrandis species and both of its subspecies. They have classified them as "not threatened." This means that there are enough of these plants in the wild, and they are not currently at risk of disappearing.