Eucalyptus varia facts for kids

Eucalyptus varia is a special kind of eucalypt tree that grows only in a specific area near the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark and its leaves are a dull bluish-green. This tree produces yellow flowers and its fruit looks like a small barrel.

What Does It Look Like?

Eucalyptus varia is a mallee, which means it's a type of eucalypt that grows like a shrub with many stems. It usually reaches about 7 m (23 ft) tall. This plant has smooth, grey bark. It also has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow after a fire.

Its adult leaves are a dull bluish-green on both sides. They are narrow and shaped like a spear. These leaves are usually 48–90 mm (1.9–3.5 in) long and 9–20 mm (0.35–0.79 in) wide. They narrow down to a stalk, called a petiole, which is 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) long.

The flower buds grow in groups of nine or eleven. They appear where the leaves meet the stem, which is called the axil. Each group of buds grows on a stalk called a peduncle, about 10–17 mm (0.39–0.67 in) long. The individual buds also have small stalks, or pedicels, about 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long.

When the buds are ready, they are long and spindle-shaped. They measure 16–27 mm (0.63–1.06 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) wide. Each bud has a horn-shaped cap, called an operculum. This cap is about three times longer than the base of the flower.

The Eucalyptus varia flowers are yellow. They usually bloom from July to September or October. After flowering, the tree produces woody fruit. These fruits are shaped like a barrel or cylinder. They are 7–11 mm (0.28–0.43 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) wide.

How It Got Its Name

The Eucalyptus varia was officially described in 1991. Two scientists, Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper, gave it its name. They found specimens of this tree about 90 km (56 mi) west of Esperance in 1989.

The second part of its name, varia, comes from a Latin word meaning "varying." This name was chosen because the tree can vary in how it grows, its bark, the width of its leaves, and where it lives.

Brooker and Hopper also described two different types, or subspecies, of Eucalyptus varia:

• Eucalyptus varia subsp. salsuginosa: This type has rough, stringy bark near its base. It grows in areas that are wet during certain seasons, usually north and north-east of Esperance.
• Eucalyptus varia subsp. varia: This type has smooth bark all over. It grows on sandy plains and rocky areas. You can find it north and north-west of Esperance, stretching as far east as the Cape Arid National Park.

Is It Safe?

The good news is that Eucalyptus varia and both of its subspecies are considered "not threatened." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing. The Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife keeps track of their status.