Wikipedia

Eucalyptus globulus

Not to be confused withSydney blue gum.
For other tree species with the common name, seeBlue gum.

Eucalyptus globulus,commonly known assouthern blue gum[2]orblue gum,is a species offlowering plantin the familyMyrtaceae.It is a tall,evergreentreeendemicto southeastern Australia. ThisEucalyptusspecies has mostly smooth bark, juvenile leaves that are whitish and waxy on the lower surface, glossy green, lance-shaped adult leaves,glaucous,ribbed flower buds arranged singly or in groups of three or seven in leafaxils,white flowers and woody fruit.

Blue gum
Eucalyptus globulussubsp.maidenii
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. globulus
Binomial name
Eucalyptus globulus
Synonyms[1]
Flower buds of subsp.bicostata
Fruit of subsp.bicostata

There are four subspecies, each with a different distribution across Australia, occurring in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. The subspecies are theVictorian blue gum,Tasmanian blue gum,Maiden's gum,andVictorian eurabbie.

Description

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Eucalyptus globulusis a tree that typically grows to a height of 45 m (148 ft) but may sometimes only be a stunted shrub, or alternatively under ideal conditions can grow as tall as 90–100 m (300–330 ft), and forms alignotuber.The bark is usually smooth, white to cream-coloured but there are sometimes slabs of persistent, unshed bark at the base. Young plants, often several metres tall, andcoppiceregrowth have stems that are more or less square in cross-section with a prominent wing on each corner. Juvenile leaves are mostly arranged in opposite pairs,sessile,glaucouselliptic to egg-shaped, up to 150 mm (5.9 in) long and 105 mm (4.1 in) wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same glossy to dark green on both sides, lance-shaped or curved, 150–300 mm (5.9–11.8 in) long and 17–30 mm (0.67–1.18 in) wide on apetiole1.5–6 mm (0.059–0.236 in) long. The flower buds are arranged singly or in groups of three or seven in leaf axils, sometimes sessile or on a short thickpeduncle.The individual buds are also usually sessile, sometimes on apedicelup to 5 mm (0.20 in) long. Mature buds are top-shaped to conical, glaucous or green, with a flattened hemispherical, wartyoperculumwith a central knob. Flowering time varies with subspecies and distribution but the flowers are always white. The fruit is a woody conical or hemisphericalcapsulewith the valves close to rim level.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Taxonomy and naming

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Eucalyptus globuluswas first formally described in 1800 by the French botanistJacques Labillardièrein his book,Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse.[9][10][11]Labillardière collected specimens atRecherche Bayduring thed'Entrecasteauxexpedition in 1792.[12]

Thed'Entrecasteauxexpedition made immediate use of the species when they discovered it, the timber being used to improve their oared boats.[12]The Tasmanian blue gum was proclaimed as thefloral emblemofTasmaniaon 27 November 1962. The species name is from theLatinglobulus,a little ball or small sphere,[13]referring to the shape of the fruit.[3]

In 1974,James Barrie Kirkpatrickdescribed four subspecies and the names have been accepted by theAustralian Plant Census.[14]Each subspecies has a characteristic arrangement of its flower buds:[15]

Distribution and habitat

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Blue gum grows in forests in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, including some of theBass Strait Islands.Subspeciesbicostataoccurs inmontaneand tableland areas between the Carrai Plateau in northern New South Wales and thePyreneesin Victoria. Subspeciesglobulusis mainly found in lowland parts of Tasmania, but is also found on some Bass Strait islands includingKing Island,and in the extreme south-west of Victoria. Subspeciesmaideniioccurs on near-coastal ranges of south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria. Subspeciespseudoglobulusis mostly distributed in easternGippslandbut there are isolated populations further inland and in theNadgee Nature Reservein south-eastern New South Wales.[3]

There are naturalised non-native occurrences inSpainandPortugal,and other parts of southernEuropeincl.Cyprus,southernAfrica,New Zealand,westernUnited States(California),Hawaii,Macaronesia,[20]

  • Eucalyptus globulus growing in Patra, Greece.

Unusual specimens

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They typically grow from 30–55 m (98–180 ft) tall. There are historical claims of even taller trees withRobert Edwards Carter Stearnsclaiming that when he was alive, they were capable of growing to 400 feet.[21]While this claim is often regarded as being exaggerated, the environmentalistJared Diamondargues in favor of this claim, stating that such trees were likely cut down during the colonization of Australia by the English.[22]Tasmanian D. W. Lewin claimed that the tallest was 101 m (331 ft).[23]

Plantations

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Main article:Eucalyptus § Eucalyptus as plantation species
Large blue gum eucalyptus inPleasanton, California– 46.5 m (153 ft) in height and 10.5 m (34 ft) in circumference.

Blue gum is one of the most extensively planted eucalypts. Its rapid growth and adaptability to a range of conditions is responsible for its popularity. It is especially well-suited to countries with a Mediterranean-type climate, but also grows well in high altitudes in the tropics.[24]

It comprises 65% of allplantationhardwoodin Australia with approximately 4,500 km2(1,100,000 acres) planted.[25]

In about 1860Francis Cookplanted the tree onMonserrate Palace,his property atSintrain Portugal and within twenty years it had attained the height of 100 m and a circumference of 5 m.[citation needed][dubious–discuss]By 1878 the tree ″had spread from one end of Portugal to the other″. In 1878 the tree was also planted, partly on Cook's recommendation, inGalway,Ireland to reclaim ″useless bog land″.[26]

E. globulusbegun to be planted as plantations inLos LagosandLos Ríosregions of Chile in the 1990s.[27]However at these latitudes around the40th parallel souththe tree is at the southern border of the climatic conditions where it can grow, hence good growth in this part ofsouthern Chilerequires good site selection such as sunny north-facing slopes.[27]Some of these plantations grow onred clay soil.[27]

Uses

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Timber

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Blue gum timber is yellow-brown, fairly heavy, with an interlocked grain, and is difficult to season.[28]It has poorlumberqualities due to growth stress problems, but can be used inconstruction,fence posts and poles.[29]

Pulpwood

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Main article:Eucalyptus § Pulpwood

Essential oil

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The leaves aresteam distilledto extracteucalyptus oil.E. globulusis the primary source of global eucalyptus oil production, withChinabeing the largest commercial producer.[30][31]The oil hastherapeutic,perfumery,flavoring,antimicrobialandbiopesticideproperties.[32][33][34]Oil yield ranges from 1.0 to 2.4% (fresh weight), withcineolebeing the major isolate.E. globulusoil has established itself internationally because it is virtuallyphellandrenefree, a necessary characteristic for internalpharmaceuticaluse.[35]In 1870,Cloezidentified and ascribed the name "eucalyptol"— now more often called cineole — to the dominant portion ofE. globulusoil.[36]

Herb tea

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Tasmanian blue gum leaves are used as aherbal tea.[37]

Phenolics

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E. globulusbark containsquinic,dihydroxyphenylaceticandcaffeic acids,bis(hexahydroxydiphenoyl (HHDP))-glucose,galloyl-bis(HHDP)-glucose,galloyl-HHDP-glucose,isorhamentin-hexoside,quercetin-hexoside,methylellagic acid(EA)-pentose conjugate,myricetin-rhamnoside,isorhamnetin-rhamnoside,mearnsetin,phloridzin,mearnsetin-hexoside,luteolinand aproanthocyanidin B-typedimer,digalloylglucoseandcatechin.[38]The hydrolyzable tanninstellimagrandin I,eucalbanin C,2-O-digalloyl-1,3,4-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose,6-O-digalloyl-1,2,3-tri-O-galloyl-β-D-glucose,as well asgallic acidand (+)-catechincan also be isolated.[39] Tricetinis a rare flavone aglycone found in the pollen of members of the Myrtaceae, subfamilyLeptospermoideae,such asE. globulus.[40]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ab"Eucalyptus globulus".Australian Plant Census.Retrieved17 July2019.
  2. ^abBrooker, M. Ian H."Eucalyptus globulus".Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.Retrieved18 July2019.
  3. ^abcd"Eucalyptus globulussubsp.globulus".Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research.Retrieved2 June2020.
  4. ^ab"Eucalyptus globulussubsp.bicostata".Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research.Retrieved31 March2021.
  5. ^ab"Eucalyptus globulussubsp.maidenii".Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversdity Research.Retrieved31 March2021.
  6. ^ab"Eucalyptus globulussubsp.pseudoglobulus".Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research.Retrieved31 March2021.
  7. ^Chippendale, George M."Eucalyptus globulus".Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra.Retrieved18 July2019.
  8. ^"Eucalyptus globulus".Kew: Plants of the World online.Retrieved18 July2019.
  9. ^"Eucalyptus globulus".APNI.Retrieved17 July2019.
  10. ^La Billardière, Jacques-Julien Houtou de (1800).Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse.Paris: chez H. J. Jansen. p. 13.Retrieved17 July2019.
  11. ^La Billardière, Jacques-Julien Houtou de (1800).Relation du Voyage à la Recherche de la Pérouse.Paris: chez H. J. Jansen. p. 153.Retrieved17 July2019.
  12. ^abMulvaney, John (c. 2006)."4. Botanising".'The axe had never sounded': place, people and heritage of Recherche Bay, Tasmania(Online ed.).Australian National University.ISBN978-1-921313-21-9.Retrieved16 February2009.
  13. ^Brown, Roland Wilbur(1956).The Composition of Scientific Words.Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 119.
  14. ^Kirkpatrick, James Barrie (September 1974). "The numerical intraspecific taxonomy ofEucalyptus globulusLabill. (Myrtaceae) ".The Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.69(2): 89–104.doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1974.tb01618.x.
  15. ^Brooker, M. Ian H.; Slee, Andrew V."Key to the subspecies ofEucalyptus globulus".Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria.Retrieved18 July2019.
  16. ^"Eucalyptus globulussubsp.bicostata".Australian Plant Census.Retrieved17 July2019.
  17. ^"Eucalyptus globulussubsp.bicostata".Australian Plant Census.Retrieved31 March2021.
  18. ^"Eucalyptus globulussubsp.maidenii".Australian Plant Census.Retrieved17 July2019.
  19. ^"Eucalyptus globulussubsp.maidenii".Australian Plant Census.Retrieved17 July2019.
  20. ^"Eucalyptus globulus".Germplasm Resources Information Network.Agricultural Research Service,United States Department of Agriculture.Retrieved12 December2017.
  21. ^"Blunder from Down Under".
  22. ^Jared Diamond,Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeedpg 382.
  23. ^Lewin, D. W. (1906)."The Eucalypti Hardwood Timbers of Tasmania".Tasmania, Gray.
  24. ^Hillis, W.E., Brown, A.G.,Eucalypts for Wood Production,Academic Press, 1984, p20,ISBN0-12-348762-5
  25. ^Australia's Plantations 2006(PDF).Bureau of Rural Sciences. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 29 September 2007.Retrieved24 January2007.
  26. ^"The Eucalyptus for the West of England".The Cornishman.No. 16. 31 October 1878. p. 5.
  27. ^abcGeldres, Edith; Schlatter, Juan E. (2004)."Crecimiento de las plantaciones de Eucalyptus globulussobre suelos rojo arcillosos de la provinciad Osorno, Décima Región"[Growth ofEucalyptus globulusplantations on red clay soils in the Province of Osorno, 10th Region, Chile](PDF).Bosque(in Spanish).25(1): 95–101.doi:10.4067/S0717-92002004000100008.Retrieved12 January2019.
  28. ^Cribb, A.B. & J.W.,Useful Wild Plants in Australia,Collins 1982, p25ISBN0-00-636397-0
  29. ^"Index of Species Information, Eucalyptus globulus".Archived fromthe originalon 29 August 2012.Retrieved24 May2008.
  30. ^Edited by Boland, D.J., Brophy, J.J., and A.P.N. House,Eucalyptus Leaf Oils - Use, Chemistry, Distillation and Marketing,Inkata Press, 1991, p4.
  31. ^"Eucalyptus Oil, FAO Corporate Document Repository".Archived fromthe originalon 2 May 2012.Retrieved24 May2008.
  32. ^Eucalyptus globulus Monograph, Australian Naturopathic Network
  33. ^"Eucalyptus globulus".Australian Native Plants Society (Australia). Archived fromthe originalon 25 February 2012.Retrieved29 October2021.
  34. ^Young-Cheol Yang, Han-Young Choi, Won-Sil Choi, J. M. Clark, and Young-Joon Ahn,Ovicidal and Adulticidal Activity of Eucalyptus globulus Leaf Oil Terpenoids against Pediculus humanus capitis (Anoplura: Pediculidae),J. Agric. Food Chem., 52 (9), 2507 -2511, 2004.doi:10.1021/jf0354803
  35. ^Edited by Boland, D.J., Brophy, J.J., and A.P.N. House,Eucalyptus Leaf Oils - Use, Chemistry, Distillation and Marketing,Inkata Press, 1991, p3., & pp78-82.
  36. ^Boland, D.J., Brophy, J.J., and A.P.N. House,Eucalyptus Leaf Oils,1991, p6ISBN0-909605-69-6
  37. ^Eucalyptus Globulus Labill Leaf Pieces Tea
  38. ^Santos, SA; Freire, CS; Domingues, MR; Silvestre, AJ; Pascoal Neto, C (2011). "Characterization of phenolic components in polar extracts of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Bark by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry".Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.59(17): 9386–93.doi:10.1021/jf201801q.PMID21761864.
  39. ^Hou, Ai-Jun; Liu, Yan-Ze; Yang, Hui; Lin, Zhong-Wen; Sun, Han-Dong (2000). "Hydrolyzable Tannins and Related Polyphenols fromEucalyptus globulus".Journal of Asian Natural Products Research.2(3): 205–12.doi:10.1080/10286020008039912.PMID11256694.S2CID7759379.
  40. ^The Unique Occurrence of the Flavone Aglycone Tricetin in Myrtaceae Pollen. Maria G. Campos, Rosemary F. Webby and Kenneth R. Markham, Z. Naturforsch, 2002, 57c, pages 944-946 (article)
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Wikimedia Commons has media related toEucalyptus globulus.
  • Shedding bark.
  • Flower bud.
  • Flowers and leaves
  • Fruit.
  • 3, 4, 5 & 6 valved fruits.
  • An illustration fromKöhler's Medicinal Plants(1887).
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