Holey Plains peppermint facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holey Plains peppermint |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
arenicola
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The Holey Plains peppermint (scientific name: Eucalyptus arenicola) is a special type of tree or shrub. It is also known as the Gippsland Lakes peppermint. This plant is endemic, which means it only grows naturally in the south-east coastal areas of Victoria, Australia. It has rough, strong bark on its trunk and branches. Its adult leaves are shiny green and shaped like a spear. The plant produces white flowers and fruit shaped like a cup.
What Does It Look Like?
The Holey Plains peppermint can grow as a tree or a smaller, multi-stemmed shrub called a mallee. It usually reaches about 4 to 12 meters (13 to 39 feet) tall. Its trunk and branches are covered in rough, greyish bark that feels like fibers.
When the plant is young, its leaves are arranged in pairs. They are long and narrow, or sometimes egg-shaped, about 50 to 110 mm (2 to 4 inches) long and 8 to 16 mm (0.3 to 0.6 inches) wide. The top side is bluish-green, and the bottom side is whitish.
The adult leaves are shaped like a spear and are often curved. They are about 70 to 140 mm (3 to 6 inches) long and 9 to 17 mm (0.4 to 0.7 inches) wide. These leaves grow on a small stalk called a petiole, which can be up to 16 mm (0.6 inches) long. Both sides of the adult leaves are usually the same color.
The flower buds grow in groups of eleven to twenty-five on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 2 to 15 mm (0.08 to 0.6 inches) long. Each individual bud sits on a smaller stalk called a pedicel, about 2 to 6 mm (0.08 to 0.2 inches) long. The mature buds are green to yellow and are oval or club-shaped. They have a rounded cap, called an operculum, that covers the flower parts. The Holey Plains peppermint flowers in winter, and its flowers are white. After flowering, the plant produces fruit that is cup-shaped or like half a sphere, about 5 to 7 mm (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 7 to 9 mm (0.3 to 0.4 inches) wide.
How It Got Its Name
The scientific name Eucalyptus arenicola was first officially described in 2008 by a scientist named Kevin James Rule. This description was published in a science journal called Muelleria.
The second part of its name, arenicola, comes from two Latin words. Arena means "sand", and -cola means "dweller" or "one who lives in". So, arenicola means "sand dweller", which perfectly describes where this plant likes to grow!
Where Does It Live?
The Holey Plains peppermint grows in sandy soils. You can find it in coastal and near-coastal areas close to the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria. Its habitat stretches between the town of Bairnsdale and the Holey Plains.
