Saline mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saline mallee |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
litorea
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The Eucalyptus litorea, often called saline mallee, is a special kind of mallee plant. It only grows in a small area along the southern coast of Western Australia. This plant has rough, grey bark on its main trunk and smooth, grey bark higher up. It has spear-shaped adult leaves, and its flower buds grow in groups of seven. The flowers are white, and the fruit looks like a small cylinder or barrel.
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What is Saline Mallee?
The Eucalyptus litorea is a type of mallee that can grow from 2 to 6 meters (about 6 to 20 feet) tall. A mallee is a kind of eucalyptus that grows with many stems from a woody base. This plant has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow if the top part is damaged, for example, by a bushfire.
Plant Features
The bark on most of the trunk is rough, hard, and has cracks. Higher up, the bark is smooth and grey.
- Young Leaves: Young plants and new shoots have greyish-green leaves shaped like an egg. These leaves are about 35 to 75 millimeters long and 20 to 40 millimeters wide.
- Adult Leaves: The older leaves grow in an alternating pattern. They are shiny green on both sides and shaped like a spear. They are about 55 to 120 millimeters long and 8 to 25 millimeters wide. Each leaf has a small stem, called a petiole, which is about 10 to 20 millimeters long.
- Flower Buds: The flower buds grow in groups of seven where the leaves meet the stem. They are either directly attached or have very short stems (up to 3 millimeters long). When they are ready to open, the buds are oval or spindle-shaped. They are about 11 millimeters long and 4 to 5 millimeters wide. Each bud has a cone-shaped or beaked cap, called an operculum, which is about 5 to 6 millimeters long. This cap falls off when the flower blooms.
- Flowers and Fruit: The flowers are white. After the flowers, the plant produces a woody fruit. This fruit is shaped like a cylinder or a barrel. It is about 8 to 10 millimeters long and 6 to 8 millimeters wide. The parts that release the seeds are tucked inside the rim of the fruit.
How it Got its Name
The Eucalyptus litorea was officially described for the first time in 1989. Two scientists, Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper, gave it its scientific name. They found a sample of the plant near Israelite Bay in 1984.
The name litorea comes from a Latin word. It means "belonging to the sea-shore." This name was chosen because the plant grows close to the sea.
Where it Lives
The saline mallee is only found near Israelite Bay in Western Australia. It grows on sand dunes and around salt lakes. It prefers sandy or loamy soils that contain a lot of lime.
Protecting the Saline Mallee
The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife has given this eucalyptus a "Priority Two" classification. This means that not much is known about this plant, and it is found in only one or a few places. Because it is rare and its habitat is limited, it is important to protect it.
