Eucalyptus rodwayi, commonly known as the swamp peppermint, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is endemic to Tasmania. It has rough, fibrous to flaky bark on the trunk and branches, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and conical to hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus rodwayi is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, greyish fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk and branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have lance-shaped to elliptical leaves long and wide. Adult leaves are the same shade of glossy green on both sides, narrow lance-shaped or curved, long and wide, tapering to a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven, nine or eleven on a peduncle long, the individual flowers on pedicels long. Mature buds are oval to diamond-shaped, long and wide with a conical operculum about equal in length to the floral cup. Flowering occurs between December and March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a conical to hemispherical capsule long and wide with the valves near rim level.[1] [2]
Eucalyptus rodwayi was first formally described in 1902 by Richard Thomas Baker and Henry George Smith in their book A research on the eucalypts of Tasmania and their essential oils.[3] [4] The specific epithet (rodwayi) honours Leonard Rodway for his contribution to botanical research in Tasmania.
Swamp peppermint grows in poorly-drained areas in valleys from the central plateau to the east coast of Tasmania.[5]