Eucalyptus scopulorum explained

Eucalyptus scopulorum is a species of small tree that is endemic to a small area of northern New South Wales. It has rough ironbark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and barrel-shaped or conical fruit.

Description

Eucalyptus scopulorum is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has soft, corky, pale grey bark on the trunk and branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have stems that are more or less square in cross-section and dull greyish green leaves that are egg-shaped, long and wide. Adult leaves are the same shade of dull green on both sides, lance-shaped to broadly lance-shaped, long and wide, tapering to a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged on the ends of branchlets in groups of seven on a branched peduncle long, the individual buds on pedicels long. Mature buds are oval to diamond-shaped, long and about wide with a conical operculum. Flowering has been recorded in October and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody barrel-shaped or conical capsule long and wide with the valves below rim level.[1] [2] [3]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus scopulorum was first formally described in 1997 by Ken Hill in the journal Telopea from specimens he collected in the Gibraltar Range State Forest in 1996.[4] The specific epithet (scopulorum) is from the Latin word scopulus meaning "a cliff", referring to the usual habitat of this species.

Distribution and habitat

This eucalypt grows in rocky crevices on steep cliffs and is only known in a few places on the Gibraltar Range.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hill . Ken . Eucalyptus scopulorum . Royal Botanic Garden Sydney . 19 December 2019.
  2. Web site: Eucalyptus scopulorum . Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research . 29 May 2020.
  3. Hill . Kenneth . New taxa in Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) from New South Wales and Queensland . Telopea . 17 December 1997 . 7 . 3 . 192–195 . 10.7751/telopea19971011. free .
  4. Web site: Eucalyptus scopulorum. APNI. 19 December 2019.