Yandanooka mallee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yandanooka mallee |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eucalyptus
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| Species: |
crispata
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The Eucalyptus crispata, often called the Yandanooka mallee, is a special type of plant. It's a tall mallee, which means it's like a big bush with many stems growing from the ground. This plant is found only in a small area on the west coast of Western Australia. It has rough bark near the bottom of its trunk and smooth, grey bark higher up. The Yandanooka mallee also has long, thin leaves, and its flower buds grow in small groups. When it blooms, it has pretty whitish or yellowish cream flowers.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Yandanooka mallee is a spreading or upright plant. It usually grows to be about 3 to 7 meters (10 to 23 feet) tall. It has a special woody swelling at its base called a lignotuber. This helps the plant regrow if it gets damaged.
The bark on its branches and upper trunk is smooth and grey. But near the bottom, it has rough, peeling flakes of darker grey bark, sometimes up to 1 meter (3 feet) high.
Its adult leaves are the same color on both sides. They are shaped like a spear, about 1.5 to 12.5 centimeters (0.6 to 5 inches) long and 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inches) wide. These leaves grow on a small stalk called a petiole, which is about 0.8 to 2.5 centimeters (0.3 to 1 inch) long.
The flower buds grow in groups of nine, eleven, or thirteen. They appear where the leaves meet the stem, on a stalk called a peduncle, which is 0.7 to 1.6 centimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) long. Each individual bud has its own tiny stalk, a pedicel, about 0.2 to 0.4 centimeters (0.08 to 0.16 inches) long.
When the buds are ready, they are shaped like a spindle, about 0.9 to 1.2 centimeters (0.35 to 0.47 inches) long and 0.3 to 0.4 centimeters (0.12 to 0.16 inches) wide. They have a cap, called an operculum, which is shaped like a cylinder or cone.
The Yandanooka mallee flowers between March and June. Its flowers are whitish to yellowish cream. After flowering, the plant produces woody fruits. These fruits are shaped like barrels, cups, cones, or cylinders. They are about 0.5 to 0.8 centimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long and 0.4 to 0.6 centimeters (0.16 to 0.24 inches) wide. They also sit on a small pedicel, 0.1 to 0.4 centimeters (0.04 to 0.16 inches) long.
How It Got Its Name
The Yandanooka mallee, Eucalyptus crispata, was officially described for the first time in 1991. This was done by two botanists, Ian Brooker and Stephen Hopper. They published their description in a science journal called Nuytsia. They had collected a sample of the plant near Yandanooka in 1986.
The second part of its scientific name, crispata, comes from the latin word crispus. This word means "curly," and it refers to the plant's curly bark.
Where Does It Live?
The Yandanooka mallee grows in small groups. You can find it among rocky hills and cliffs made of a type of soil called lateritic breakaways. It lives in the western Wheatbelt area of Western Australia. This region is between the towns of Dandaragan, Carnamah, and Three Springs. It prefers to grow in gravelly, sandy-loam soils.
This plant has a small range, covering about 80 kilometers (50 miles). Scientists estimate there are only about 85 plants left in the wild, found in separate small groups. It often grows in small patches within low mallee woodlands. Other plants that grow nearby include Eucalyptus arachnaea subsp. arachnaea, Eucalyptus accedens, Eucalyptus wandoo, Santalum acuminatum, Allocasuarina campestris, and different kinds of Melaleuca plants.
Protecting the Yandanooka Mallee
The Yandanooka mallee is considered "vulnerable." This means it's at risk of disappearing if we don't protect it. The Australian Government lists it as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Department of Environment and Conservation in Western Australia also calls it "Threatened Flora."
The biggest dangers to this plant include:
- Fires: Fires that happen too often or at the wrong time can harm it.
- Dieback: This is a disease that causes plants to die.
- Grazing: Farm animals eating the plants can prevent them from growing.
- Land clearing: When land is cleared for farming or buildings, the plants lose their homes.
