Yumbarra mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yumbarra mallee |
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| Eucalyptus yumbarrana in Yumbarra Conservation Park | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
yumbarrana
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The Yumbarra mallee (scientific name: Eucalyptus yumbarrana) is a special type of mallee tree. It grows only in South Australia. This plant has rough bark on its lower trunk. Higher up, its bark is smooth. It has unique leaves that are shaped like eggs or spears. Its flowers are creamy white or yellow. They grow in groups of seven. After flowering, it produces small, round fruits.
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What Does the Yumbarra Mallee Look Like?
The Yumbarra mallee is a type of mallee plant. It usually grows as a tall shrub, up to 6 meters (about 20 feet) high. Sometimes, it can even become a small tree, reaching 8 meters (about 26 feet). This plant has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after fires.
Bark and Leaves
The bark on the lower part of the trunk is rough and stringy. Higher up, the bark is smooth and grey or cream-colored. This smooth bark often peels off in long strips. These strips can hang from the upper branches.
Young plants have stems that are square. Their leaves are a dull bluish-green. These young leaves can be oval, egg-shaped, or round. They are about 38 to 120 millimeters (1.5 to 4.7 inches) long. They are also 25 to 55 millimeters (1 to 2.2 inches) wide.
Adult leaves are shiny green on both sides. They are shaped like an egg or a spear. These leaves are about 70 to 130 millimeters (2.8 to 5.1 inches) long. They are 20 to 50 millimeters (0.8 to 2 inches) wide. Each leaf has a stalk, called a petiole, which is 15 to 30 millimeters (0.6 to 1.2 inches) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds grow in groups of seven. They are found where the leaves meet the stem. Each group of buds sits on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 7 to 20 millimeters (0.3 to 0.8 inches) long. Each individual bud has its own small stalk, called a pedicel, about 4 to 7 millimeters (0.16 to 0.28 inches) long.
Mature buds are oval-shaped. They are 12 to 20 millimeters (0.5 to 0.8 inches) long and 7 to 9 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. The top part of the bud, called the operculum, looks like a beak. It is 8 to 13 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long.
The Yumbarra mallee flowers from July to October. Its flowers are a lovely creamy white or yellow color. After the flowers, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is a woody capsule. It is shaped like a short sphere or a cup. These fruits are 8 to 12 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long and 8 to 10 millimeters (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide. The parts that release the seeds stick out from the fruit.
Where Does the Yumbarra Mallee Grow?
The Yumbarra mallee lives in dry areas of South Australia. You can often find it growing in the low areas between sand dunes. It grows in open shrublands. It is common in places like the Yumbarra Conservation Park and the Koonibba areas.
How Was the Yumbarra Mallee Named?
The Yumbarra mallee was first officially described in 1979. A scientist named Clifford David Boomsma wrote about it. He published his description in the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. He studied specimens that were collected in Yumbarra Conservation Park in 1977.
The second part of its scientific name, yumbarrana, comes from the place where it was first found. This place is the Yumbarra Conservation Park.
