Twinleaf bloodwood facts for kids

The Twinleaf Bloodwood (scientific name: Corymbia cadophora) is a small, often messy-looking tree. It is found only in the Kimberley area of Western Australia. This tree has rough bark on its trunk and branches. Its leaves are shaped like eggs or spears and grow in pairs, joined at their bases. The Twinleaf Bloodwood has creamy white, pink, or red flowers. After flowering, it produces fruit shaped like an urn or a barrel.

What the Twinleaf Bloodwood Looks Like

The Twinleaf Bloodwood tree usually grows to be about 2 to 8 meters (6.5 to 26 feet) tall. It often has a rough shape. It has thick, greyish-brown bark that looks like a puzzle on its trunk and branches.

Young plants have leaves about 80 mm (3 inches) long and 40 mm (1.5 inches) wide. These leaves grow in opposite pairs. The main leaves of the tree are also in pairs. They are dull green on both sides and shaped like eggs or spears. These leaves are 95 to 255 mm (3.7 to 10 inches) long and 30 to 86 mm (1.2 to 3.4 inches) wide. Their bases are joined together.

The tree's flower buds grow at the ends of its branches. They are usually in groups of seven. Each group of buds sits on a small stalk up to 5 mm (0.2 inches) long. The mature buds are oval or pear-shaped. They are 8 to 18 mm (0.3 to 0.7 inches) long and 6 to 11 mm (0.2 to 0.4 inches) wide. They have a rounded or pointed cap on top.

The Twinleaf Bloodwood flowers at different times of the year, usually from January to February, April, or from June to October. Its flowers can be creamy white, pink, or red. The fruit is a hard, woody capsule. It is shaped like an urn or a barrel. The fruit is 30 to 42 mm (1.2 to 1.7 inches) long and 23 to 30 mm (0.9 to 1.2 inches) wide. The parts that open to release seeds are hidden inside the fruit.

How the Twinleaf Bloodwood Got Its Name

Scientists Kenneth Hill and Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson first officially described this tree in 1995. They named it Eucalyptus cadophora in a science journal called Telopea. Later, the tree was moved to the Corymbia group, but its specific name, cadophora, stayed the same.

The name cadophora comes from ancient Greek words. Kados means "a vase or wine-jar," and phoros means "bearing." This name refers to the vase-like shape of the tree's fruit.

There are three different types, or subspecies, of Twinleaf Bloodwood:

• Corymbia cadophora subsp. cadophora: This type is a strong tree, often wider than it is tall. Its flowers are usually cream-colored. Its fruit is 25 to 36 mm (1 to 1.4 inches) long and 22 to 26 mm (0.9 to 1 inch) wide.
• Corymbia cadophora subsp. pliantha: This type has deep red or dark pink flowers. It has more flower groups on each stalk. Its fruit is also 25 to 36 mm (1 to 1.4 inches) long and 22 to 26 mm (0.9 to 1 inch) wide. The name plianthus means "more flowers" in Greek.
• Corymbia cadophora subsp. polychroma: This type has flowers that are pink at the bottom of their stamens (the parts that make pollen) or are cream-colored. Its fruit is 30 to 38 mm (1.2 to 1.5 inches) long and 18 to 23 mm (0.7 to 0.9 inches) wide. The name polychroma means "many colors" in Greek, because its flowers can vary in color.

Where the Twinleaf Bloodwood Lives

The Twinleaf Bloodwood is found only in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It grows on rocky slopes, hills, and sand dunes. It can also be found on floodplains. It prefers sandy clay or loamy soils, often over or near basalt, dolerite, sandstone, and quartzite rocks.

• The cadophora subspecies is common in many places. It grows from near Derby to Fitzroy Crossing and the Prince Regent River area. It grows in low, open areas with shrubs.
• The pliantha subspecies is only found in a small area south of Kununurra. It grows in open woodlands with lots of grass.
• The polychroma subspecies is only known from a small area in the Ragged Range. It grows with Triodia species, which are a type of grass.

Conservation Status

The Western Australian Government's Department of Parks and Wildlife checks on plants to see if they are safe.

• The cadophora and pliantha subspecies are considered "not threatened." This means there are enough of them, and they are not in danger.
• However, the polychroma subspecies is listed as "Priority One." This means it is known from only a few places, and these places might be at risk. Scientists are keeping a close eye on it.

Images for kids

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  Flower buds