Weeping box facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Weeping box
Eucalyptus patellaris flower buds and flowers
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	patellaris

Eucalyptus patellaris, also known as the weeping box, is a special kind of tree. It only grows in the Northern Territory of Australia. This tree has rough bark, long leaves, and pretty white flowers. It also grows interesting bell-shaped fruits.

What Does the Weeping Box Look Like?

The weeping box tree usually grows to be about 10 to 18 meters tall. That's like a building with 3 to 6 floors! It has rough, greyish bark that can be flaky or stringy on its trunk and branches. This tree can also regrow from a special woody base called a lignotuber.

Young weeping box plants have dull green leaves. These leaves are shaped like an egg. They are about 90 to 135 millimeters long and 35 to 60 millimeters wide.

Older trees have different leaves. These adult leaves are shaped like a spear or are slightly curved. They are the same green color on both sides. These leaves can be quite long, from 95 to 270 millimeters. They are also 13 to 35 millimeters wide. Each leaf has a stalk called a petiole, which is 8 to 26 millimeters long.

The tree's flower buds grow in groups of seven. They are found at the ends of the branches. Each group of buds sits on a main stalk called a peduncle. This stalk is 5 to 25 millimeters long. Each individual bud has its own small stalk, called a pedicel, which is 4 to 12 millimeters long.

When the buds are ready, they look like a pear or an oval. They are 9 to 16 millimeters long and 6 to 9 millimeters wide. The top part of the bud, which covers the flower, is shaped like a cone or has a beak. This part is called an operculum.

The weeping box tree has white flowers. It usually blooms from November to February. After the flowers, the tree grows fruits. These fruits are woody and shaped like a bell or a cup. They are 6 to 12 millimeters long and 6 to 13 millimeters wide. These fruits are a type of seed pod called a capsule.

How It Got Its Name

The weeping box tree was first officially described in 1859. A scientist named Ferdinand von Mueller wrote about it. He found the tree near the Roper River.

The second part of its scientific name, patellaris, comes from a Latin word. It means "pan" or "knee-cap." This name was chosen because of the shape of the bud's cap, or operculum.

Where Does It Live?

The weeping box tree grows in open forests and woodlands. It likes gentle slopes and flat areas near rivers. You can find it in different places across the Top End of the Northern Territory.

Some people used to think this tree also grew in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. However, new studies show that those trees are actually a different kind of eucalyptus. That new species is called E. xerothermica. So, the weeping box truly is special to the Northern Territory!