Oil mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oil mallee |
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| Eucalyptus kochii subsp. kochii near Dalwallinu | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
kochii
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| Synonyms | |
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Eucalyptus oleosa var. kochii (Maiden & Blakely) C.A.Gardner |
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The Eucalyptus kochii, often called oil mallee, is a special kind of mallee plant. Sometimes it grows into a small tree. It is found only in Western Australia. This plant has rough, flaky bark on its main trunk. Its upper branches have smooth, grey bark. It has long, narrow leaves. Its flower buds grow in groups, and the flowers are white. The fruit looks like a small urn.
Contents
What is the Oil Mallee?
Eucalyptus kochii is a mallee plant. It usually grows up to 8 meters tall. Sometimes, it can even become a small tree, reaching 12 meters high. This plant has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after fires.
Bark and Leaves
The bark on the main trunk and larger branches is rough. It can be flaky or stringy and light grey to brown. The bark on the thinner branches is smooth and can be grey or pink.
The adult leaves grow in an alternating pattern. They are long and narrow, like a spear. Both sides of the leaves are the same shade of green. They are about 5.5 to 11.5 centimeters long and 0.5 to 1.3 centimeters wide. Each leaf has a small stalk called a petiole, which is about 0.5 to 1.2 centimeters long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds grow in groups, usually seven, nine, or eleven buds together. They are found where the leaves meet the stem. Each group of buds sits on a stalk called a peduncle, which is about 0.6 to 0.8 centimeters long. Each individual bud has a tiny stalk called a pedicel, about 0.2 to 0.3 centimeters long.
The mature buds are shaped like a cylinder or a spindle. The base of the flower, called the floral cup, is about 0.4 to 0.5 centimeters long. It is about 0.3 to 0.4 centimeters wide. The top part of the bud, which acts like a lid, is called an operculum. It is shaped like a cone or a horn and is similar in size.
The oil mallee flowers between October and February. Its flowers are white. After flowering, the plant produces woody fruits. These fruits are shaped like an oval or an urn. They are about 0.6 to 0.7 centimeters long and 0.5 to 0.6 centimeters wide. The parts that release the seeds stick out above the rim of the fruit.
How the Oil Mallee Got its Name
The Eucalyptus kochii was officially described in 1929. This was done by two botanists, Joseph Maiden and William Blakely. They wrote about it in Maiden's book, A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus.
The second part of its scientific name, kochii, honors Max Koch. He was very interested in the plants of South and Western Australia.
Different Types of Oil Mallee
Over the years, scientists have studied the oil mallee closely. In 1950, another botanist, Charles Gardner, suggested a different name for it. However, this change was not widely accepted.
Later, other botanists like Dean Nicolle and Ian Brooker identified different types of Eucalyptus kochii. These are called subspecies. They are slightly different versions of the same plant.
Today, the Australian Plant Census recognizes five main subspecies of Eucalyptus kochii:
- Eucalyptus kochii subsp. amaryssia has fruit with a rounded lid and very shiny adult leaves. These leaves have a lot of oil.
- Eucalyptus kochii subsp. borealis has fruit with a cone-shaped lid and very shiny adult leaves.
- Eucalyptus kochii subsp. kochii is the original type. It has dull green adult leaves.
- Eucalyptus kochii subsp. plenissima has fruit with a rounded lid and very shiny adult leaves. However, these leaves have very little oil.
- Eucalyptus kochii subsp. yellowdinensis has unusually narrow, shiny green adult leaves. These leaves also have a low oil content.
Where the Oil Mallee Grows
The oil mallee is found in Western Australia. It grows in flat areas, dips in the land, on small hills, and along roadsides. You can find it from Kondut to near Pindar. It prefers sandy, loamy, or clay soils that are found over laterite (a type of soil rich in iron and aluminum) or granite rock.
Growing Oil Mallee for Oil
This type of eucalyptus is grown on special farms called plantations. People grow it to make eucalyptus oil. The oil is taken out of the leaves through a process called distillation. This oil is very special because it has a high amount of a chemical called cineole. This chemical makes up 83% to 94% of the oil.
See also
In Spanish: Eucalyptus kochii para niños
