Small-fruited mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small-fruited mallee |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
ovularis
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The Eucalyptus ovularis, also known as the small-fruited mallee, is a type of mallee or tree. It grows naturally in Western Australia.
Contents
What is the Small-fruited Mallee?
The small-fruited mallee is a tree or a mallee plant. It usually grows to be about 3 to 15 meters tall. This plant has a special woody base called a lignotuber. This lignotuber helps it regrow after fires.
Bark and Leaves of the Mallee
The bark at the bottom of the tree is dark grey, rough, and flaky. Higher up, the bark becomes smooth and has a white-pinkish-grey color.
The adult leaves are shiny and green. They are arranged alternately along the stems. Each leaf is long and narrow, like a spearhead. They are about 6 to 10 centimeters long and 0.5 to 1.0 centimeter wide. The leaves have a pointed tip.
Flowers and Fruits of the Mallee
This mallee blooms with white flowers between September and May. The flowers grow in small groups of 9 to 13 buds. These buds are oval or cylinder-shaped. They are about 0.45 to 0.8 centimeters long.
After the flowers, small fruits appear. These fruits are shaped like a barrel. They are about 0.4 to 0.6 centimeters long and 0.4 to 0.5 centimeters wide. Inside the fruits are flat, oval-shaped brown seeds. Each seed is very tiny, only about 0.8 to 1.5 millimeters long.
How Was the Small-fruited Mallee Named?
The Eucalyptus ovularis was first officially described in 1925. Two botanists, Joseph Maiden and William Blakely, gave it its scientific name. They published their findings in a science journal.
The second part of its scientific name, ovularis, comes from a Latin word. It means "resembling an ovule." An ovule is a small, egg-shaped part of a plant. This name likely refers to the shape of its buds or fruits.
Family Tree of the Mallee
Eucalyptus ovularis belongs to a large group of eucalypts called Symphyomyrtus. It is part of a smaller group of nine similar species. Some of these related species have rough bark, just like E. ovularis. These include E. aequioperta and E. myriadena.
Other relatives in this group have smooth bark. Examples are E. cyclostoma and E. cylindrocarpa.
Where Does the Small-fruited Mallee Grow?
The small-fruited mallee is found in different spots across the southern part of the Goldfields-Esperance region in Western Australia. You can find it from Ravensthorpe in the west to Coolgardie in the north. It also grows near Cape Arid in the east.
It prefers to grow on flat areas. It likes sandy or loamy soils, especially those found over or near limestone.
