Tumbledown ironbark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tumbledown ironbark |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
panda
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The Eucalyptus panda, also known as tumbledown ironbark or Yetman ironbark, is a special kind of tree found only in eastern Australia. It's called an "ironbark" because its trunk and branches have very dark, rough bark that looks and feels like iron. This tree has long, narrow leaves, white flowers that grow in groups, and interesting cup-shaped fruits.
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What Does Tumbledown Ironbark Look Like?
The tumbledown ironbark is a small to medium-sized tree. It can grow up to about 20 meters (about 65 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the tree regrow if it gets damaged, for example, by a bushfire.
Its bark is a dark grey to black color and covers the tree from the bottom of the trunk all the way to its thinnest branches. This is why it's called an "ironbark."
Leaves and Flowers
When the tree is young, or when new shoots grow from the base, its leaves are a dull green color. They are shaped like a spear, about 5 to 9 centimeters (2 to 3.5 inches) long and 1 to 1.5 centimeters (0.4 to 0.6 inches) wide.
As the tree gets older, its adult leaves are also a dull green on both sides. They can be straight and narrow or slightly wider like a spear, measuring about 5 to 11 centimeters (2 to 4.3 inches) long and 0.8 to 2.2 centimeters (0.3 to 0.9 inches) wide. Each leaf has a short stem called a petiole, which is about 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) long.
The flowers of the tumbledown ironbark are white. They grow in groups of seven. Each group of flowers grows on a small stalk called a peduncle, and each individual flower bud has its own tiny stem called a pedicel. The flower buds themselves are shaped like an oval or a diamond. They are about 4 to 7 millimeters (0.16 to 0.28 inches) long. When the buds are ready to open, they have a cone-shaped or beaked cap on top, called an operculum.
This tree usually flowers from May to November. After the flowers bloom, they turn into woody, cup-shaped or half-sphere shaped fruits. These fruits are about 4 to 6 millimeters (0.16 to 0.24 inches) long and 5 to 7 millimeters (0.2 to 0.28 inches) wide. They are a type of dry fruit called a capsule.
Where Does Tumbledown Ironbark Grow?
The tumbledown ironbark lives in woodlands. It prefers sandy soil found on flat areas and low hills. You can find it in Queensland, Australia, from near the Carnarvon National Park south to a town called Texas. It also grows a little bit into New South Wales, close to Yetman.
How Was Tumbledown Ironbark Named?
The Eucalyptus panda was first officially described in 1958 by a scientist named Stanley Thatcher Blake. He studied samples of the tree that were collected in 1957 near a place called Barakula.
The second part of its scientific name, panda, comes from a Latin word that means "bent" or "crooked." This name might refer to how this type of ironbark tree often grows with a slightly bent or crooked shape.
Is Tumbledown Ironbark Protected?
The Queensland Government lists this eucalypt as a species of "least concern" under their Nature Conservation Act 1992. This means that, for now, there are no major worries about this tree becoming endangered.
