Eucalyptus griffithsii explained

Eucalyptus griffithsii, commonly known as Griffith's grey gum, is a species of mallee or tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth grey to whitish bark, sometimes with rough, loose fibrous bark near the base of the trunk, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and conical to cup-shaped fruit.

Description

Eucalyptus griffithsii is a mallee or tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth grey to whitish bark, sometimes with rough, fibrous or scaly bark covering the bottom 1to. Young plants and coppice regrowth have elliptical to lance-shaped, greyish green to slightly glaucous leaves, long and wide. Adult leaves are usually lance-shaped, the same glossy green on both sides, long and wide on a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of three on an unbranched peduncle long, the individual buds on pedicels long. Mature buds are cylindrical to pear-shaped, long and wide with an operculum that has radiating striations and is wider than the floral cup. Flowering occurs between September and December or between January and March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody conical to cup-shaped capsule long and wide with two ridges along its sides and the valves near rim level.[1] [2]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus griffithsii was first formally described in 1911 by Joseph Maiden in the Journal of the Natural History and Science Society of Western Australia. The specific epithet (griffithsii) honours John Moore Griffiths for his interest in the work of Maiden over "nearly thirty years".[3] [4]

Distribution and habitat

Griffith's grey gum grows on low-lying flats and on rocky hillsides in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia between Kalgoorlie and Norseman where it grows in loamy-gravelly soils.

Conservation status

This mallee is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Eucalyptus griffithsii . Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research . 2 June 2020.
  2. Web site: Chipendale . George M. . Eucalyptus griffithsii . Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra . 23 July 2019.
  3. Web site: Eucalyptus griffithsii. APNI. 22 July 2019.
  4. Maiden . Joseph . Notes of Western Australian eucalypts, including description of new species. Journal of the Natural History & Science Society of Western Australia . 1911 . 3 . 2 . 177–178 . 23 July 2019.