Grey box facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grey box |
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| Eucalyptus microcarpa near Henty | |
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| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
microcarpa
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The Eucalyptus microcarpa, often called grey box, is a type of tree. It grows only in southeastern Australia. This tree has rough bark on its trunk. Higher up, its bark is smooth and whitish. It has long, narrow adult leaves. Its flowers are white and grow in groups of seven to eleven. The fruit looks like an oval, cylinder, or urn.
Contents
What Does the Grey Box Look Like?
The Grey box is a tree that spreads out. It can sometimes have many trunks. It usually grows up to 25 meters (about 82 feet) tall. This tree can also grow a special woody lump called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after fires.
Its bark is rough and flaky on the main trunk and larger branches. Higher up, the bark is smooth and grey or white. Young plants have dull green or bluish leaves. These leaves are 60-150 mm (about 2-6 inches) long and 40-55 mm (about 1.5-2 inches) wide. They also have a small stalk called a petiole.
Adult leaves are green on both sides. They are shaped like a spear, 60-150 mm long and 10-20 mm (about 0.4-0.8 inches) wide. They grow on a petiole that is 5-20 mm (about 0.2-0.8 inches) long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds grow on a branched stalk called a peduncle. There are usually seven to eleven buds in each group. The peduncle is 3-10 mm (about 0.1-0.4 inches) long. Each bud has its own tiny stalk, or pedicel, which is 1-4 mm (about 0.04-0.16 inches) long.
When the buds are ready, they are oval or diamond-shaped. They are 5-9 mm (about 0.2-0.35 inches) long and 2-4 mm (about 0.08-0.16 inches) wide. They have a cone-shaped or beaked cap called an operculum.
The Grey box flowers between February and June. Its flowers are white or cream-colored. The fruit is a woody, cup-shaped, or barrel-shaped capsule. It is 3-9 mm (about 0.1-0.35 inches) long and 3-5 mm (about 0.1-0.2 inches) wide. The parts that open to release seeds are near the rim or below it.
Naming the Grey Box
The Grey box was first officially described in 1902. A scientist named Joseph Maiden gave it the name Eucalyptus hemiphloia var. microcarpa. This was published in a report by the Royal Society of South Australia.
Later, in 1923, Maiden changed its name. He decided it was a unique species. So, he renamed it E. microcarpa.
Where Does the Grey Box Grow?
The Eucalyptus microcarpa tree is found in many parts of Australia. You can see it in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It grows widely inland, away from the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales.
In Victoria, it grows from the Wimmera region east to south of Benalla. It is also found in Queensland. In South Australia, you can find it in the Mount Lofty Ranges and near Adelaide. The Grey box likes to grow in grassy woodlands and in loamy soils. Loamy soils are a mix of sand, silt, and clay.
Protecting the Grey Box
The Grey box is part of a special type of forest. This forest is called "grey box (E. microcarpa) grassy woodlands and derived native grasslands of south-eastern Australia." This woodland is very important.
However, this type of woodland is listed as "endangered" by the Australian Government. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever. The government has laws, like the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, to help protect it.
