Eucalyptus dura

Eucalyptus dura is a species of small to medium sized tree that is endemic to south-eastern Queensland. It has rough, dark grey to black "ironbark", lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and conical fruit.

Eucalyptus dura
Eucalyptus dura on Mount Greville
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. dura
Binomial name
Eucalyptus dura

Description

Eucalyptus dura is a tree that typically grows to a height of 25 m (82 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has dark grey to black ironbark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth grey to cream-coloured bark on branches less than 30 mm (1.2 in) in diameter. Young plans and coppice regrowth have lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves 95–140 mm (3.7–5.5 in) long and 20–40 mm (0.79–1.57 in) wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, sometimes curved, 90–180 mm (3.5–7.1 in) long and 15–33 mm (0.59–1.30 in) wide on a petiole 10–35 mm (0.39–1.38 in) long. The leaves are the same or a similar glossy green on both sides. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven on the end of branchlets on a branched peduncle 7–25 mm (0.28–0.98 in) long, the individual buds on a pedicel 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long. Mature buds are oval to pear-shaped, 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide with a conical operculum that is narrower and shorter than the floral cup. Flowering mainly occurs from April to June and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, conical capsule 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) wide on a pedicel 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) long with the valves below the level of the rim.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus dura was first formally described in 1991 by Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill from a specimen collected from Turkey Mountain in the Barakula State Forest in 1984.[3][5] The specific epithet (dura) is a Latin word meaning "hard" or "tough",[6] referring to the bark of this tree.[2]

Distribution and habitat

This ironbark grows in grassy and dry forests in sandy soil, usually on higher places. It occurs between the Biggenden, Chinchilla and Boonah districts in south-east Queensland.[2][3]

Uses

Essential oils

The leaves of E. dura are rich in oils, particularly β-phellandrene and 1,8-cineole. These oils may be suitable for development of a bacteriostat.[7][8]

  • Deeply furrowed, tough bark from the lower trunk of Eucalyptus dura
  • Smaller branches of E. dura are smooth and silvery-grey near the canopy.
  • Small, conical capsules with ribs of E. dura

References
  1. "Eucalyptus dura". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  2. "Eucalyptus dura". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  3. Hill, Kenneth D.; Johnson, Lawrence A.S. (1 March 1991). "Systematic studies in the eucalypts - 4. New taxa in Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 4 (2): 343–344. doi:10.7751/telopea19914932.
  4. Leiper, Glenn; Cox, Denis; Glazebrook, Jan; Rathie, Kerry (2012). Mangroves to Mountains: A Field Guide to the Native Plants of south-east Queensland (2nd ed.). Logan Village: Society for Growing Australian Plants (SGAP). p. 501. ISBN 9780648047308.
  5. "Eucalyptus dura". APNI. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  6. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 395.
  7. Doimo, Luigino; Fletcher, Robert J.; D'Arcy, Bruce R.; Bird, Lloyd (March 1999). "A New Essential Oil from Eucalyptus dura L.A.S. Johnson & K.D. Hill". Journal of Essential Oil Research. 11 (2): 149–150. doi:10.1080/10412905.1999.9701095.
  8. Coppen, John J.W. (ed.); Brophy, Joseph J.; Southwell, Ian A. Eucalyptus: The Genus Eucalyptus. London, New York: Taylor and Francis. p. 124.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
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