Eucalyptus calycogona

Eucalyptus calycogona, commonly known as the gooseberry mallee or square fruited mallee,[2] is a mallee that is endemic to southern Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds that are square in cross-section arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils, creamy white, sometimes pink flowers, and fruit that are square in cross-section.

flowers and buds
fruit

Gooseberry mallee
Eucalyptus calycogona near Murray Bridge
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. calycogona
Binomial name
Eucalyptus calycogona

Description

Eucalyptus calycogona is mallee that typically grows to a height of 5–6 m (16–20 ft), or rarely a small tree, and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth cream-coloured grey, pinkish, sometimes powdery bark and sometimes has rough bark near the base. Young plants and coppice regrowth have dull greyish green leaves arranged in opposite pairs, lance-shaped to oblong, 18–60 mm (0.71–2.36 in) long and 6–20 mm (0.24–0.79 in) wide. The adult leaves are arranged alternately, narrow lance-shaped, the same glossy green on both sides, 50–100 mm (2.0–3.9 in) long and 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) wide on a petiole 5–17 mm (0.20–0.67 in) long. The flowers buds are arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils on a peduncle 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) long. Mature buds are oblong, square in cross-section, 7–13 mm (0.28–0.51 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide with four ribs along their sides. Flowering occurs between May and November and the flowers are creamy white or sometimes pink. There are two rows of stamens, the outer ring of stamens not producing pollen. The fruit is a woody capsule 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) wide, barrel-shaped or urn-shaped in side view and more or less square in cross section with four ribs along the sides.[2][3][4][5][6]

Taxonomy

Eucalyptus calycogona was first formally described by Nikolai Turczaninow in 1852 and the description was published in the Bulletin de la Classe Physico-Mathématique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg.[7][8]

Four subspecies have been formally described and accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

  • Eucalyptus calycogona Turcz. subsp. calycogona[9][10] has smooth bark throughout, small buds and fruit with moderate ribbing and sometimes dark pink flowers;[11]
  • Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. miraculum Nicolle & M.E.French[12][13] has a waxy covering on the branches, buds and fruit;[11]
  • Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. spaffordi Nicolle[14] has broad, thick leaves and prominently ribbed buds and fruit;[11]
  • Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. trachybasis Nicolle[15] usually has rough bark on the base of the main stems, and larger buds and fruit.[11][16]

Distribution and habitat

Gooseberry mallee grows in mallee woodlands and shrublands in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales.

Subspecies calycogona is the most widespread of the subspecies and occurs in all these states, especially in Western Australia where it grows in the southern and central wheatbelt, Great Southern and southern Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia extending eastwards almost to Balladonia. It is found on the Eyre Peninsula and south-eastern Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia, the Big Desert area of Victoria and the Koraleigh area in the far south-west of New South Wales.[3][6][10][11][16]

Subspecies trachybasis is found from the eastern side of Spencer Gulf in South Australia, westwards to Boort and Kerang and north from Edenhope in Victoria. Subspecies spaffordii is restricted to southern parts of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia and subspecies miracula in an area to the south of Southern Cross in Western Australia.[6][11][13][16]

This species is associated with the chenopod mallee subgroup. The chenopod mallee subgroup has E. calycogona along with other trees including Eucalyptus gracilis, Eucalyptus dumosa and Eucalyptus oleosa the understorey includes species of Maireana, Sclerolaena, Enchylaena, Chenopodium and Zygophyllum.[17]

Use in horticulture

E. calycogona is cultivated as an ornamental or shade tree that is suitable for coastal or inland areas. The tree is tolerant of drought, lime and moderate frost and is bird and insect attracting.[18]

See also

References
  1. "Eucalyptus calycogona". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  2. "Eucalyptus calycogona". State Herbarium of South Australia. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  3. Hill, Ken. "Eucalyptus calycogona". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  4. "Eucalyptus calycogona". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  5. Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus calycogona". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  6. "Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. calycogona Square-fruited mallee". Centra for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  7. "Eucalyptus calycogona". APNI. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  8. Turczaninow, Nikolai (1852). "Myrtaceae Xerocarpicae in Nova Hollandia a cl. Drummond lectae et plerumque in collectione ejus quinta distributae, determinatae et descriptae". Bulletin de la Classe Physico-Mathématique de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint-Pétersbourg. 10: 338. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  9. "Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. calycogona". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  10. "Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. calycogona". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  11. Nicolle, Dean (2013). Native eucalypts of South Australia. Adelaide: Dean Nicolle. p. 100. ISBN 9780646904108.
  12. "Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. miraculum". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  13. "Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. miraculum". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  14. "Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. spaffordi". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  15. "Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. trachybasis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  16. Messina, Andre; Stajsic, Val. "Eucalyptus calycogona subsp. trachybasis". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
  17. "Open mallee woodlands and sparse mallee woodlands" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  18. "Eucalyptus calycogona square-fruited mallee". Plant Selector. Botanic Gardens of South Australia. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
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