Ongerup mallee facts for kids

The Ongerup mallee (scientific name: Eucalyptus vegrandis) is a type of mallee plant. A mallee is a special kind of eucalyptus that grows with many stems from a large woody base underground. This plant is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, long, narrow leaves, and its flowers are a creamy white color.

What Does the Ongerup Mallee Look Like?

The Ongerup mallee is a small tree or shrub. It usually grows to be about 1.5 to 6 meters (about 5 to 20 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling underground called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow if there's a fire. Its bark can be greenish or yellowish and feels smooth.

The adult leaves of this plant are shiny green. They are shaped like a line or a spear, and can be 30 to 80 millimeters (about 1 to 3 inches) long. They are 4 to 15 millimeters (about 0.15 to 0.6 inches) wide. The leaves narrow down to a stalk called a petiole, which is 1 to 18 millimeters long.

The flower buds grow in groups of seven. They are found where the leaves meet the stem, which is called a leaf axil. These buds grow on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 5 to 20 millimeters long. Each individual bud has its own small stalk, called a pedicel, about 3 to 5 millimeters long.

Mature buds are long and thin, about 10 to 12 millimeters long and 4 to 5 millimeters wide. They have a cap, called an operculum, which can be cone-shaped, horn-shaped, or rounded. This cap is narrower than the base of the flower, called the floral cup, where they join.

The Ongerup mallee usually flowers in October or February. Its flowers are a beautiful creamy white. After flowering, the plant produces woody fruits. These fruits are shaped like a cup or a cone. They are 6 to 9 millimeters long and 6 to 8 millimeters wide. Inside, the parts that open to release seeds, called valves, are close to the rim of the fruit.

How Did the Ongerup Mallee Get Its Name?

The Ongerup mallee was first officially described in 1992. Two scientists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill, gave it its scientific name. They studied samples of the plant that were collected near a town called Ongerup in 1983.

The second part of its scientific name, vegrandis, comes from a Latin word. It means "not very large." This name was chosen because the plant is quite small in size.

In 2005, two other scientists, Dean Nicolle and Ian Brooker, described two different types, or subspecies, of the Ongerup mallee. These names are now accepted by the Australian Plant Census.

• Eucalyptus vegrandis subsp. recondita has wider, oval-shaped adult leaves. Its flower buds and fruits are also larger.
• Eucalyptus vegrandis subsp. vegrandis (the original type) has narrow, linear leaves. Its buds and fruits are smaller.

Where Does the Ongerup Mallee Grow?

The Ongerup mallee grows in low-lying areas. You can often find it growing alongside plants like saltbush. It is found in a region between several towns in Western Australia. These towns include Jerramungup, Katanning, Cranbrook, and Boxwood Hill.

The subspecies vegrandis grows between Ongerup, Katanning, Nyabing, Jerramungup, and near the Bremer River. The subspecies recondita is found from Cranbrook to the north and south of the Stirling Range. However, it does not grow on the Stirling Range itself.

Is the Ongerup Mallee Safe?

The Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife has looked at the conservation status of the Ongerup mallee. Both the main species and its two subspecies are listed as "not threatened." This means they are not currently in danger of disappearing.