Eucalyptus apiculata, commonly known as the narrow-leaved mallee ash[1] and is a mallee that is endemic to New South Wales. It has smooth white or greyish bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three to seven, white flowers and urn-shaped or barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus apiculata is a mallee with smooth white or greyish bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have leaves arranged in opposite pairs, linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves up to 160sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. They are the same glossy green colour on both sides. Adult leaves are narrow lance-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide, the same glossy green on both sides. There is a small point or hook on the end of the leaves. The flower buds are arranged in groups of three to seven, the groups on a peduncle NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and the individual flowers a pedicel NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The mature buds are oval to club-shaped, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide with a conical operculum that has a small point on its top. Flowering occurs between October and March and the flowers are white. The fruit is an urn-shaped or barrel-shaped capsule NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide on a pedicel NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long.[2] [3] [4]
Eucalyptus apiculata was first formally described in 1902 by Richard Thomas Baker and Henry George Smith who published the description in a paper entitled A research on the eucalypts : especially in regard to their essential oils.[5] The specific epithet (apiculata) is a Latin word meaning "apiculate", referring to the leaves.
The narrow-leaved mallee ash is a rare species with a restricted distribution between Linden and Berrima where it grows in mallee shrubland.