Small-leaved mallee facts for kids

The Small-leaved Mallee (Eucalyptus xanthonema) is a special type of mallee tree or shrub. It only grows in the southwest part of Western Australia. This plant is known for its smooth bark, long, narrow leaves, and pretty white or pale yellow flowers. It also produces interesting barrel-shaped fruits.

What the Small-leaved Mallee Looks Like

The Small-leaved Mallee is a mallee, which means it's a type of eucalyptus that usually grows as a shrub with multiple stems from the ground. It typically reaches a height of 1–5 m (3 ft 3 in – 16 ft 5 in). This plant also forms a lignotuber, which is a woody swelling at the base of the stem. It helps the plant regrow after a fire.

Bark, Leaves, and Flowers

The bark of this mallee is smooth. It has grey and brownish colors. The bark peels off in long strips, which sometimes pile up near the bottom of the plant.

Young plants and new shoots (called coppice regrowth) have soft, thin leaves. These leaves are a bluish-green color. They are shaped like a line or a spear, measuring 60–80 mm (2.4–3.1 in) long and 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) wide.

Adult leaves are the same green color on both sides. They are linear, meaning long and narrow. These leaves are 35–77 mm (1.4–3.0 in) long and 3–11 mm (0.12–0.43 in) wide. They narrow down to a stalk called a petiole, which is 3–17 mm (0.12–0.67 in) long.

Flower Buds and Fruit

The flower buds grow in groups of seven to eleven. They are found in the leaf axils, which are the angles where a leaf joins the stem. These groups of buds are on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long. Each individual bud has its own small stalk, a pedicel, 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long.

Mature buds are shaped like a spindle, 9–16 mm (0.35–0.63 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide. They have a cone-shaped cap called an operculum. This cap can be up to twice as long as the base of the flower, known as the floral cup.

The Small-leaved Mallee flowers from September to December, or sometimes from January to February. Its flowers are white or a pale lemon-yellow color. After flowering, the plant produces a woody, barrel-shaped fruit. This fruit is a capsule, 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide. The parts that open to release seeds (called valves) are close to the rim of the fruit.

How it Got its Name

The Small-leaved Mallee was first officially described in 1847. This was done by a scientist named Nikolai Turczaninow. He published his description in a journal called Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou.

Meaning of the Name

The scientific name for this plant is Eucalyptus xanthonema. The second part of the name, xanthonema, comes from ancient Greek words. "Xanthos" means "yellow," and "nema" means "thread." This name refers to the yellow color of the dried flowers.

Different Types of Small-leaved Mallee

In 1991, two other scientists, Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper, described two slightly different types, or subspecies, of Eucalyptus xanthonema. These types are now officially recognized.

• Eucalyptus xanthonema subsp. apposita Brooker & Hopper: This type has wider leaves, up to 15 mm (0.59 in) wide.
• Eucalyptus xanthonema Turcz. subsp. xanthonema: This is the original type. Its leaves are 10 mm (0.39 in) wide or less.

Where the Small-leaved Mallee Grows

The Small-leaved Mallee, also sometimes called the yellow-flowered mallee, grows in specific areas. It is found in low mallee shrubland. This type of land has many mallee plants growing together.

You can find it on flat areas and gentle slopes. Its range is between Williams, the Stirling Range, and the Fitzgerald River National Park in Western Australia. The subspecies apposita is only found in the Stirling Range.

Conservation Status

Both types (subspecies) of E. xanthonema are doing well. The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has classified them as "not threatened." This means they are not currently at risk of disappearing.