Red ironbark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red ironbark
Eucalyptus tricarpa in Paddys Ranges State Park
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	tricarpa

Red ironbark street tree
Port Hacking NSW

The Red Ironbark, also called Mugga Ironbark, is a special kind of tree. It grows only in southeastern Australia. This tree has thick, rough bark that looks like iron on its trunk and branches. It has long, narrow adult leaves, and its flower buds usually grow in groups of three. When it blooms, it has white flowers, and its fruit looks like a small cylinder or ball.

What Does the Red Ironbark Look Like?

The Red Ironbark is a tall tree, often growing up to about 35 meters (about 115 feet) high. It has very thick, rough bark that can be reddish-brown to black. This bark covers both the main trunk and the branches.

When the tree is young, or when new shoots grow from its base (called a lignotuber, which is a woody lump that helps the tree regrow after fire), its leaves are green or grayish. These young leaves are shaped like an oval or a spear, and they are about 4 to 11 centimeters (1.5 to 4.3 inches) long. They also have a small stem called a petiole.

As the tree gets older, its adult leaves grow in a different way. They are arranged one after another along the stem. Both sides of the leaves are the same shade of green or grayish-green. They are shaped like a spear or slightly curved, and they can be quite long, from 8 to 22 centimeters (3 to 8.7 inches). These adult leaves also have a petiole, which is about 1 to 3 centimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long.

Flowers and Fruit

The Red Ironbark's flower buds grow in the axils of the leaves. This means they grow where the leaf meets the stem. Usually, there are three buds in a group, but sometimes there can be seven. These groups of buds are on a stem called a peduncle, which is about 8 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long. Each individual bud also has its own small stem, called a pedicel, which is about 5 to 18 millimeters (0.2 to 0.7 inches) long.

When the buds are ready to open, they are oval-shaped, about 10 to 15 millimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) long. They have a cap-like top called an operculum, which can be cone-shaped or look like a beak. The Red Ironbark usually flowers from February to November. Its flowers are white, but sometimes they can be a pale pink.

After the flowers, the tree produces fruit. The fruit is a woody capsule (a dry fruit that opens to release seeds). It looks like a cylinder or a short sphere, about 8 to 13 millimeters (0.3 to 0.5 inches) long. The parts that open to release the seeds are tucked inside the rim of the fruit.

How the Red Ironbark Got Its Name

The Red Ironbark was first officially described in 1962 by a scientist named Lawrie Johnson. He first called it Eucalyptus sideroxylon subspecies tricarpa. Later, in 1991, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill decided it was special enough to be its own species, so they named it Eucalyptus tricarpa.

The second part of its scientific name, tricarpa, comes from ancient Greek words. "Tri" means "three," and "carpa" means "fruit." This name refers to the fact that its flower buds usually grow in groups of three.

In 2004, another scientist named Kevin James Rule found two slightly different types, or subspecies, of the Red Ironbark:

• One subspecies, Eucalyptus tricarpa subsp. decora, has a powdery white coating (called pruinose) on its young plants, small branches, and flower buds.
• The other subspecies, Eucalyptus tricarpa subsp. tricarpa, does not have this powdery coating.

Where Does the Red Ironbark Grow?

The Red Ironbark tree grows in forests and woodlands. In New South Wales, you can find it along the coast, starting from a place called Araluen in the south. It's also very common in the goldfields area near Bendigo in Victoria. You can also see it near Anglesea and in areas close to the coast in Gippsland, Victoria. The subspecies decora grows in open woodlands around St Arnaud in Victoria.

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Corteza de hierro para niños