Slender mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slender mallee |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
decurva
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The Slender mallee (Eucalyptus decurva) is a special type of mallee tree. It is found only in the south-west part of Western Australia. This plant has smooth, light-colored bark. Its adult leaves are shaped like a spear or are slightly curved. The flower buds hang downwards in groups of seven. When it blooms, it has white flowers. After flowering, it grows round, hanging fruits.
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What Does the Slender Mallee Look Like?
The Slender mallee is a type of Eucalyptus plant. It usually grows like a large shrub or small tree. It can reach a height of about 1.5 to 5 meters (5 to 16 feet). This plant has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after fires.
Bark and Leaves
The bark of the Slender mallee is very smooth. It can be white-gray, salmon, or even yellow-green. Sometimes, it looks a bit powdery.
Young plants have dull, grayish-green leaves. These leaves are usually oblong or egg-shaped. They are about 3.5 to 10.5 centimeters (1.4 to 4.1 inches) long. They are also about 3 to 7 centimeters (1.2 to 2.8 inches) wide.
Older, or "adult," leaves are shiny green. They are shaped like a spear or are slightly curved. These leaves are about 5 to 10.5 centimeters (2 to 4.1 inches) long. They are also about 1.2 to 2.5 centimeters (0.5 to 1 inch) wide. Each leaf has a small stalk called a petiole.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds of the Slender mallee hang downwards. They grow in groups of seven in the leaf axils (where the leaf meets the stem). Each group of buds hangs from a stalk called a peduncle. The individual buds are on smaller stalks called pedicels.
The mature buds are shaped like a cylinder or a pear. They are about 5 to 10 millimeters (0.2 to 0.4 inches) long. They are also about 4 to 5 millimeters (0.16 to 0.2 inches) wide.
This plant blooms between April and October. Its flowers are usually white. Sometimes, they can be a pale pink color.
After the flowers, the plant grows fruit. The fruit is a woody capsule that hangs downwards. It is mostly spherical, or round. Each fruit is about 7 to 11 millimeters (0.28 to 0.43 inches) long. It is also about 7 to 10 millimeters (0.28 to 0.39 inches) wide.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The Slender mallee was first officially described in 1863. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller wrote about it. He used a plant sample collected by George Maxwell. This sample was found near the Porongurups in Western Australia.
The scientific name decurva comes from a Latin word. It means "down-curved." This name refers to how the flower buds hang downwards.
Where Does the Slender Mallee Grow?
The Slender mallee grows in sandy and lateritic soils. Lateritic soils are reddish and rich in iron. It likes hilly areas near the coast. Most of these plants are found between the Stirling Range and Esperance. However, some groups of these plants are also found near Perth.
