Maiden's gum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maiden's gum |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Eucalyptus |
| Species: | |
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E. g. subsp. maidenii
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| Trinomial name | |
| Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii (F.Muell.) J.B.Kirkp.
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Maiden's gum (scientific name: Eucalyptus globulus subsp. maidenii) is a type of tree. It is found only in southeastern Australia. This tree has bark that is mostly smooth. Sometimes, old pieces of bark stay on the bottom part of the trunk. Its young leaves have one side that looks pale or bluish-green. The adult leaves are shaped like a spear. Maiden's gum trees have white flowers. Their flower buds grow in groups of seven. The fruit is shaped like a cone and can also look pale or bluish-green. It is often somewhat square when you look at it from the end.
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What Maiden's Gum Looks Like
Maiden's gum trees can grow very tall, usually about 45 to 50 meters high. They have a special woody swelling at their base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree regrow if it gets damaged.
The bark on these trees is mostly smooth. It peels off in long strips, showing a white or grey surface underneath. Sometimes, you might see rough bark at the bottom of the trunk. Also, ribbons of bark can hang from the upper branches.
Young plants and new shoots that grow from a cut stump (called coppice regrowth) have stems that are somewhat square. Each corner of the stem has a noticeable wing.
Leaves
The young leaves of Maiden's gum are directly attached to the stem (they are sessile). They grow in pairs, one across from the other. These leaves are oval or egg-shaped. Their underside is covered with a white, waxy layer. They are about 40 to 110 millimeters long and 17 to 60 millimeters wide.
Adult leaves grow in an alternating pattern along the stem. Both sides of the adult leaves are the same shade of green. They are shaped like a spear or are slightly curved. These leaves are about 120 to 355 millimeters long and 12 to 40 millimeters wide. They grow on a stalk called a petiole, which is about 15 to 37 millimeters long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds of Maiden's gum grow in the "armpit" of the leaves (called the axil). They appear in groups of seven. These groups are on a flattened stalk called a peduncle, which is about 8 to 25 millimeters long. Each individual bud sits on a thick short stalk called a pedicel, about 3 to 8 millimeters long.
When the buds are ready, they are shaped like a club or a pear. They are about 8 to 11 millimeters long and 5 to 7 millimeters wide. The cap of the bud, called the operculum, is shaped like a beak or is flattened. It often has a small knob in the center. Maiden's gum trees have been seen flowering in March, and their flowers are white.
After flowering, the tree produces fruit. The fruit is a woody capsule shaped like a cone. It can sometimes have a pale or bluish-green look. The fruit is about 5 to 8 millimeters long and 6 to 10 millimeters wide. The parts that open to release the seeds (called valves) are usually level with the rim of the fruit.
How Maiden's Gum Got Its Name
The Maiden's gum tree was first officially described in 1890. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller gave it the name Eucalyptus maidenii. He published his description in a scientific paper after collecting samples with William Bäuerlen.
Later, in 1974, another scientist named James Barrie Kirkpatrick studied different types of E. globulus trees. He changed the name E. maidenii to E. globulus subsp. maidenii. The name maidenii was chosen to honor a person named Joseph Maiden.
Where Maiden's Gum Grows
This type of E. globulus tree grows in forests. You can find it in mountain valleys, on slopes, and on ridges. It lives in the coastal areas of New South Wales, south of the Shoalhaven River. It also grows in eastern Victoria, near the upper parts of the Genoa and Cann Rivers.
See also
In Spanish: Eucalipto de Maiden para niños
