Mallee red gum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mallee red gum |
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| In Warrumbungle National Park | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
nandewarica
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The Mallee red gum, also known as Eucalyptus nandewarica, is a special type of tree or mallee. A mallee is a type of eucalyptus that grows many stems from a large underground root. This plant is endemic to a small area of western New South Wales, Australia. It has mostly smooth bark and long, thin leaves. Its flower buds grow in groups of three or seven, and the flowers are white. The fruit looks like a small cup.
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What Does the Mallee Red Gum Look Like?
The Mallee red gum can grow as a tree or a mallee. It usually reaches about 10 meters (33 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling underground called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow after fires.
Its bark is smooth and grayish, often with different colors mixed in. Sometimes, there's some rough bark near the bottom of the trunk.
Leaves and Flowers
Young Mallee red gum plants have dull green, lance-shaped leaves. These leaves are about 6 to 12.5 centimeters (2.4 to 4.9 inches) long and 1 to 5 centimeters (0.4 to 2 inches) wide. They have a small stem called a petiole.
Adult leaves are also lance-shaped. They are a dull light green on both sides. These leaves are about 5 to 15 centimeters (2 to 6 inches) long and 0.8 to 3 centimeters (0.3 to 1.2 inches) wide. They also have a petiole, which is about 0.7 to 2 centimeters (0.3 to 0.8 inches) long.
The flower buds grow in groups of three or seven. They are found in the leaf axils, which are the spots where the leaf meets the stem. These groups of buds are on a small stalk called a peduncle, which is about 3 to 8 millimeters (0.1 to 0.3 inches) long. Each individual bud has an even smaller stalk called a pedicel, up to 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) long.
Mature buds are oval or diamond-shaped. They are about 6 to 9 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long and 3 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide. They have a cone-shaped cap called an operculum. The Mallee red gum has been seen flowering in December, and its flowers are white.
Fruit
After flowering, the plant produces fruit. The fruit is a woody capsule that looks like a cup or half a sphere. It is about 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) long and 5 to 6 millimeters (0.2 to 0.24 inches) wide. The parts that release the seeds, called valves, stick out strongly from the fruit.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The Mallee red gum was first officially described in 1990. Two botanists, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill, wrote about it in a science journal called Telopea. They found the first samples of the plant in Mount Kaputar National Park in 1986.
The second part of its scientific name, nandewarica, comes from the Nandewar Range. This is a mountain range in Australia where this plant grows naturally.
Where Does the Mallee Red Gum Live?
The Mallee red gum grows in mallee shrubland. This is a type of bushland where many mallee plants grow together. You can find it in the Nandewar Ranges, the Warrumbungle Range, and other nearby ridges in New South Wales.
