Eucalyptus viridis

Eucalyptus viridis, commonly known as the green mallee,[2] is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to south-eastern, continental Australia. It has rough fibrous or flaky bark on the lower trunk, smooth bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven or nine, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.

Green mallee
Eucalyptus viridis near Euabalong
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. viridis
Binomial name
Eucalyptus viridis
Synonyms[1]
flower buds
fruit

Description

Eucalyptus viridis is a mallee or small tree that typically grows to a height of 8–10 m (26–33 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, dark grey, fibrous or flaky bark on the lower stems, smooth greyish brown above, or sometimes entirely smooth bark. Yount plants and coppice regrowth have linear to narrow lance-shaped or narrow elliptical leaves that are 45–95 mm (1.8–3.7 in) long and 2–11 mm (0.079–0.433 in) wide. Adult leaves are glossy green, narrow linear to narrow lance-shaped, curved or narrow elliptical leaves that are 50–130 mm (2.0–5.1 in) long and 3–15 mm (0.12–0.59 in) wide, tapering to a petiole up to 13 mm (0.51 in)long. The flower buds are arranged on the ends of branchlets in groups of seven or nine on an branched peduncle 3–13 mm (0.12–0.51 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 1–6 mm (0.039–0.236 in) long. Mature buds are oval to diamond-shaped, 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide with a conical operculum. Flowering has been observed in most months and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, cup-shaped capsule 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide with the valves near rim level.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus viridis was first formally described in 1900 by Richard Thomas Baker in the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.[6][7] The specific epithet (viridis) is a Latin word meaning "green".[3]

Distribution and habitat

The green mallee grows in mallee shrubland on plains and gently undulating country. It occurs in Queensland, mainly south from Taroom, through the western slopes and plains of New South Wales, near Bendigo and in the Little Desert National Park in Victoria to the south east of South Australia.[3][5]

Uses

This eucalypt is important in the production of honey[8] and the leaves are harvested for cineole based eucalyptus oil.[9]

See also

References
  1. "Eucalyptus viridis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  2. Hill, Ken. "Eucalyptus viridis". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  3. "Eucalyptus viridis". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  4. Brooker, M. Ian H.; Slee, Andrew V. "Eucalyptus viridis". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  5. Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus viridis". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  6. "Eucalyptus viridis". APNI. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  7. Baker, Richard Thomas (1900). "On some new species of Eucalyptus". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 25: 316–319. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.12156. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  8. "Growing Native Plants: Eucalyptus viridis". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  9. Boland, D.J., Brophy, J.J., and A.P.N. House, Eucalyptus Leaf Oils, 1991, ISBN 0-909605-69-6
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