Grey bloodwood facts for kids

The Grey Bloodwood (Corymbia porrecta) is a type of small tree. It is only found in the Northern Territory of Australia. This tree has rough, bumpy bark on its trunk and branches. Its grown-up leaves are wide and shaped like a spear or an egg. The flower buds usually grow in groups of seven. When they bloom, the flowers are creamy white. After flowering, the tree produces fruit shaped like an urn or a barrel.

What Does the Grey Bloodwood Look Like?

The Grey Bloodwood tree can grow up to 20 m (66 ft) tall, but it's often much shorter. It has rough, greyish bark that looks like a puzzle on its trunk and branches. This tree can also grow a special woody lump called a lignotuber at its base. This helps it regrow after a fire.

Leaves of the Grey Bloodwood

Young Grey Bloodwood plants have egg-shaped leaves. These leaves are quite large, about 180–250 mm (7.1–9.8 in) long and 110–170 mm (4.3–6.7 in) wide. They have a stem called a petiole.

The leaves on older trees are arranged one after another. They are shiny green on both sides. These adult leaves are wide and can be shaped like a spear or an egg. They measure about 90–235 mm (3.5–9.3 in) long and 30–85 mm (1.2–3.3 in) wide. Each leaf has a petiole that is 17–35 mm (0.67–1.38 in) long.

Flowers and Fruit

The flower buds grow at the ends of the branches. They are on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 6–35 mm (0.24–1.38 in) long. Each part of this stalk usually holds seven, or sometimes nine, buds. These buds sit on smaller stalks called pedicels, which are 4–22 mm (0.16–0.87 in) long.

When the buds are ready, they are oval or pear-shaped. They are about 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long and 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) wide. They have a rounded or cone-shaped cap on top. The Grey Bloodwood flowers are creamy white. They usually bloom from January to April.

After the flowers, the tree produces woody fruit. These fruits are shaped like an urn, a barrel, or a flattened ball. They are about 18–30 mm (0.71–1.18 in) long and 15–26 mm (0.59–1.02 in) wide.

How Was the Grey Bloodwood Named?

This tree was first officially described in 1953 by a scientist named Stanley Thatcher Blake. He first called it Eucalyptus porrecta. Later, in 1995, two other scientists, Ken Hill and Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson, changed its name to Corymbia porrecta.

The second part of its scientific name, porrecta, comes from a Latin word. It means "stretched outwards and forward." This might refer to the tree's long, wide leaves that spread out from the top of the tree.

Where Does the Grey Bloodwood Grow?

The Grey Bloodwood usually grows in tall woodlands. It prefers sandy or gravelly soils. You can find it in the north-west part of the Northern Territory. This area is between Litchfield and Darwin. It also grows east towards Jabiru, on the Coburg Peninsula, and on Bathurst and Melville Islands.

How Does the Grey Bloodwood Survive Fires?

After a bushfire, the Grey Bloodwood tree can often regrow. It's a "facultative resprouter." This means its ability to regrow depends on things like how much moisture is in the ground and how intense the fire was. If conditions are right, it can sprout new growth from its base or trunk.