Eucalyptus longifolia
| Woollybutt | |
|---|---|
| |
| Eucalyptus longifolianearEden | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Eucalyptus |
| Species: | E. longifolia
|
| Binomial name | |
| Eucalyptus longifolia | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Eucalyptus longifolia,commonly known aswoollybutt,[2]is a species of medium-sized tree that isendemicto eastern Australia. It has thick, fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical or hemispherical fruit. The drooping flower heads in groups of three are a distinguishing feature. It grows in heavy soils often near water.
Description
[edit]Eucalyptus longifoliais a tree that typically grows to a height of 35 m (115 ft) and forms alignotuber.It has rough, fibrous to flaky bark on the trunk and branches thicker than about 80 mm (3.1 in). The trunk diameter is up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in). Young plants andcoppiceregrowth have stems that are more or less square in cross-section and leaves that are egg-shaped to broadly lance-shaped, 65–200 mm (2.6–7.9 in) long and 20–90 mm (0.79–3.54 in) wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, the same dull greyish green on both sides, 90–250 mm (3.5–9.8 in) long and 8–35 mm (0.31–1.38 in) wide, on apetiole15–32 mm (0.59–1.26 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of three in leaf axils on an unbranchedpeduncle10–34 mm (0.39–1.34 in) long, the individual buds onpedicels7–17 mm (0.28–0.67 in) long. Mature buds are pendulous, oval to diamond-shaped, 16–27 mm (0.63–1.06 in) long and 5–13 mm (0.20–0.51 in) wide with a conicaloperculum.Flowering occurs from March to June and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, cup-shaped to cylindrical or hemisphericalcapsule8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) long and 9–16 mm (0.35–0.63 in) wide with the valves near rim level.[2][3][4][5][6]
Taxonomy
[edit]Eucalyptus longifoliawas first formally described in 1822 byJohann Heinrich Friedrich Linkin his book,Enumeratio Plantarum Horti Regii Berolinensis Altera.[7][8]The specific epithet (longifolia) is derived from theLatinwordslongus"long" andfolium"leaf".[9]
Within the genusEucalyptus,this species belongs in the subgenusSymphyomyrtus.[10]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]The range of woollybutt is fromMorisettin central New South Wales south to the Victorian border.[3]In the north of its range it is more scattered in its distribution, but becomes more common south of Nowra to Bega.[6]It generally grows on clay soils and floodplains, sometimes in areas with poor drainage,[11]in valleys and low areas.[6]In opensclerophyllforest, it grows alongside such trees as white mahogany (E. acmenoides), grey box (E. moluccana), forest red gum (E. tereticornis), and rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda), while in swampy areas it is found with swamp mahogany (E. robusta) and paperbark species such as snow-in-summer (Melaleuca linariifolia), prickly paperbark (M. styphelioides) and swamp paperbark (M. ericifolia).[11]
Ecology
[edit]The woollylbutt can regenerate viaepicormic budsif its crown is damaged by bushfire. Trees live for over a hundred years. Along with many bird species thegrey-headed flying fox(Pteropus poliocephalus) andlittle red flying fox(P. scapulatus) feed on nectar produced by the woollybutt flowers.[11]
Uses
[edit]The dark red timber is hard and resistant to water,[10]and termites.[11]It has been used inrailway sleepersand other general construction.[6]The woollybutt is also important in beekeeping and the honey industry.[10]It is useful as a shade tree or windbreak in paddocks, but grows too large for the average garden.[10]
References
[edit]
- ^ab"Eucalyptus longifolia".Australian Plant Census.Retrieved16 September2019.
- ^abChippendale, George M."Eucalyptus longifolia".Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra.Retrieved16 September2019.
- ^abHill, Ken."New South Wales Flora Online:Eucalyptus longifolia".Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia.
- ^"Eucalyptus longifolia".Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research.Retrieved1 June2020.
- ^Messina, Andre."Eucalyptus longifolia".Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria.Retrieved16 September2019.
- ^abcdBoland, Douglas J.; Brooker, M. I. H.; Chippendale, G. M.; McDonald, Maurice William (2006).Forest trees of Australia.Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. p. 97.ISBN0-643-06969-0.
- ^"Eucalyptus longifolia".APNI.Retrieved16 September2019.
- ^Link, Johann Heinrich Friedrich (1822).Enumeratio Plantarum Horti Regii Berolinensis Altera.Berlin: apud G. Reimer. p. 29.Retrieved16 September2019.
- ^Backer, C.A. (1936).Verklarend woordenboek der wetenschappelijke namen van de in Nederland en Nederlandsch-Indië in het wild groeiende en in tuinen en parken gekweekte varens en hoogere planten(Edition Nicoline van der Sijs).
- ^abcdElliot, Rodger W.; Jones, David L. (1986). "Eu-Go".Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation.Vol. 4. Lothian Publishing. p. 134.ISBN0-85091-213-X.
- ^abcdBenson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (1998)."Ecology of Sydney plant species:Part 6 Dicotyledon family Myrtaceae"(PDF).Cunninghamia.5(4): 809–987. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2014-06-23.