Eucalyptus sparsifolia, commonly known as the narrow-leaved stringybark, is a tree endemic to New South Wales. It has grey to reddish brown, stringy bark, glossy green lance-shaped leaves, spindle-shaped flower buds and more or less spherical fruit.
Eucalyptus sparsifolia is a tree that grows to a height of 20m (70feet) with grey to reddish brown, stringy bark. The leaves on young trees are glossy green, hairy, broadly lance-shaped NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide and a lighter colour on the lower side. Adult leaves are narrow lance-shaped, often curved, the same glossy green on both sides, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 wide on a petiole NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long. The flowers are arranged in groups of mostly between nine and eighteen on an angular or flattened peduncle NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long, individual flowers on a cylindrical pedicel up to NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long. The mature buds are green to yellowish, oval to spindle-shaped, NaNsigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 long and about 2sigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 wide. The operculum is cone-shaped with a beaked tip, shorter than or about as long and wide as the flower cup. The stamens are white. Flowering mainly occurs from September to December. The fruit is a globe-shaped, slightly flattened capsule, NaNsigfig=1NaNsigfig=1 long and wide.[1] [2]
Eucalyptus sparsifolia was first formally described in 1934 by William Blakely who published the description in A Key to the Eucalypts.[3] The specific epithet (sparsifolia) is derived from Latin ("sparse-leaved"), referring to the crown but is probably a misnomer.
This species was formerly included with E. oblonga which included trees with a wide range of leaf widths. Those with broader leaves are now included in E. globoidea.
The narrow-leaved stringybark is widespread and abundant in forest and woodland in the Sydney region and as far inland as the Pilliga forest.