Wadbilliga ash facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wadbilliga ash |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Eucalyptus |
| Species: |
E. paliformis
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| Binomial name | |
| Eucalyptus paliformis L.A.S.Johnson & Blaxell
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The Wadbilliga ash (scientific name: Eucalyptus paliformis) is a small to medium-sized tree. It grows only in a small part of southern New South Wales, Australia. This tree has smooth bark and leaves shaped like a spear. Its flowers are white and grow in groups of seven. After flowering, it produces round, woody fruits.
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What the Wadbilliga Ash Looks Like
The Wadbilliga ash usually grows up to 12 m (39 ft) tall. Unlike some other trees, it does not form a special woody lump called a lignotuber at its base. This lignotuber would normally help the tree regrow after a fire.
Its bark is smooth and greyish. It peels off in long strips, showing new yellow bark underneath.
Leaves and Flowers
Young Wadbilliga ash plants have shiny, dark green leaves. These leaves are about 65 mm (2.6 in) to 110 mm (4.3 in) long. They are also about 15 mm (0.59 in) to 20 mm (0.79 in) wide.
Adult leaves are shiny green on both sides. They are shaped like a spear or slightly curved. These leaves are 70 mm (2.8 in) to 130 mm (5.1 in) long and 9 mm (0.35 in) to 20 mm (0.79 in) wide. Each leaf narrows down to a stalk called a petiole, which is 5 mm (0.20 in) to 12 mm (0.47 in) wide.
The tree's flower buds grow in groups of seven. They are found where the leaf meets the stem, which is called the leaf axil. Each group of buds sits on a single stem called a peduncle, about 4 mm (0.16 in) to 9 mm (0.35 in) long. Each individual bud has its own tiny stalk, called a pedicel, 1 mm (0.039 in) to 4 mm (0.16 in) long.
Mature buds are oval-shaped. They are about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 3 mm (0.12 in) wide. The top part of the bud, which covers the flower, is called an operculum. It can be shaped like a cone or be rounded.
Flowering and Fruit
The Wadbilliga ash blooms with white flowers from May to July.
After the flowers, the tree produces woody fruits. These fruits are round but slightly flattened. They are called capsules. Each capsule is about 6 mm (0.24 in) to 8 mm (0.31 in) long and 5 mm (0.20 in) to 7 mm (0.28 in) wide. The parts that open to release seeds, called valves, are below the rim of the fruit.
How the Wadbilliga Ash Got Its Name
The Eucalyptus paliformis was first officially described in 1973. Two scientists, Lawrie Johnson and Donald Blaxell, described it. They found the tree near the upper Tuross River in Wadbilliga National Park in 1971.
Their description was published in a scientific journal called Contributions from the New South Wales Herbarium. The second part of its scientific name, paliformis, comes from Latin. It means "stake-like," which describes the slim, straight trunks of this eucalyptus tree.
Where the Wadbilliga Ash Lives
The Wadbilliga ash is quite rare. It is only found in one specific area. This area is near Cooma, within the Wadbilliga region of New South Wales. It grows in forests and woodlands. You can find it on a wide, high ridge where it forms its own group of trees.
