Eucalyptus decolor is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Queensland. It has rough, hard, fissured "ironbark", lance-shaped to curved adult leaves that are distinctly paler on the lower surface, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical to cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus decolor is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has hard, dark grey fissured "ironbak" on the trunk and larger branches, white to pinkish bark on the thinner branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have narrow lance-shaped leaves long and wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, distinctly paler on the lower surface, long and wide on a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged on a branching inflorescence with the buds in groups of seven on each branch. The groups are on a peduncle long, the individual buds on a pedicel long. Mature buds are spindle-shaped to diamond-shaped, about long and wide with a conical operculum. Flowering occurs from December to March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody hemispherical to cup-shaped capsule long and wide on a pedicel long.[1] [2] [3]
Eucalyptus decolor was first formally described in 1989 by Anthony Bean and Ian Brooker from a specimen that Bean collected on Mount Castletower near Port Curtis. The description was published in the journal Austrobaileya.[4] The specific epithet (decolor) is a Latin word meaning "discolored" or "faded",[5] referring to the pale underside of the leaves.
This eucalypt is only known from a few small populations, mostly in hilly and mountainous country in south-east Queensland.
Eucalyptus decolor is classed as "near threatened" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992. The main threats to the species are land clearing and inappropriate fire regimes.[3]