Tumbledown red gum facts for kids
The Tumbledown red gum, also known as the hill redgum, is a special kind of small tree that only grows in eastern Australia. It has mostly smooth bark that can be white, grey, or brownish. Its adult leaves are shaped like spears or eggs. When it flowers, it has groups of seven to eleven white flowers. After flowering, it produces round fruits with parts that stick out.
Quick facts for kids Tumbledown red gum |
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| Eucalyptus dealbata growing near Armidale | |
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Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
dealbata
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Contents
What Does the Tumbledown Red Gum Look Like?
The Tumbledown red gum is a tree that usually grows to be about 15 to 20 meters tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps it regrow after fires.
Its bark is smooth and can be white, grey, or brownish. Sometimes, it has rough, grey bark that stays on the trunk.
Young plants and new shoots have bluish-green leaves shaped like eggs. These leaves are about 65 to 80 mm long and 30 to 42 mm wide.
Adult leaves are a dull bluish-green on both sides. They are shaped like spears or eggs, measuring 55 to 140 mm long and 10 to 40 mm wide. Each leaf has a stem called a petiole that is 8 to 30 mm long.
Flowers and Fruit
The flower buds grow in groups of seven or nine, sometimes eleven. They are found in the leaf axils (where the leaf meets the stem). Each group of buds grows on a stem called a peduncle, which is 5 to 15 mm long. Individual buds have smaller stems called pedicels, about 1 to 4 mm long.
Mature buds are oval or diamond-shaped and have a whitish, powdery look (this is called glaucous). They are 6 to 13 mm long and 3.5 to 5 mm wide. Each bud has a cone-shaped cap called an operculum, which is 4 to 8 mm long.
The tree flowers between September and November, and its flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, round capsule (like a seed pod). It is 2 to 6 mm long and 5 to 7 mm wide. The parts that open to release the seeds (called valves) stick out quite a bit from the edge of the fruit.
How Did It Get Its Name?
The Tumbledown red gum was first officially described in a written paper by Allan Cunningham. However, the full description was published in 1843 by Johannes Schauer in a book called Repertorium Botanices Systematicae.
The second part of its scientific name, dealbata, comes from a Latin word. It means "whitened," which describes the whitish, powdery look of its flower buds and fruit.
Where Does It Grow?
The Tumbledown red gum grows in open woodlands with grassy areas. It prefers poor, rocky soil. You can find it in Queensland, starting from Emerald and going south. It also grows across the western slopes and tablelands of New South Wales.
Some people think it grows in Victoria, but the experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria say that trees found there are actually a different kind of eucalyptus called Eucalyptus blakelyi.
What Is It Used For?
This eucalyptus tree is a very important source of pollen for bees. The honey made from its flowers has a really nice flavor!
