''Corymbia papuana'', commonly known as ghost gum, is a species of evergreen tree native to New Guinea, some

Torres Strait Islands The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. They span an area of , but their total land ...

and the northern part of the

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupació ...

in Australia. It has smooth whitish bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, creamy white flowers and barrel-shaped or urn-shaped fruit.

Description

''Corymbia papuana'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a

lignotuber A lignotuber is a woody swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem, such as by fire. Other woody plants may develop basal burls as a similar survival strategy, often as a response t ...

. It has smooth white, creamy white or pale grey bark. Young plants and

coppice Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, which is called a copse, young tree stems are repeate ...

regrowth have hairy, elliptic to egg-shaped or lance-shaped leaves that are long and wide on a short petiole. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same shade of dull green on both sides, lance-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils on a branched peduncle long, each branch of the peduncle with three or seven buds on

pedicels In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''. Description Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...

long. Mature buds are pear-shaped, long and wide with a rounded operculum that sometimes has a small point in the centre. Flowering has been observed in October and November and the flowers are creamy white and perfumed. The fruit is a woody barrel-shaped or urn-shaped capsule long and wide with the valves enclosed in the fruit.

Taxonomy and naming

This eucalypt was first formally described in 1875 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name ''Eucalyptus papuana''. The description was published in von Mueller's book ''Descriptive notes on Papuan plants'' from specimens collected " nthe mainland of new Guines opposite to Yule-Island, about twelve miles

9 km 9 km (russian: 9 км) is the name of several rural localities in Russia: * 9 km, Republic of Mordovia, a settlement of the crossing in Plodopitomnichesky Selsoviet of Ruzayevsky District of the Republic of Mordovia; * 9 km, Orenburg Oblast, a cr ...

distant from the shores." In 1995, Ken Hill and

Lawrie Johnson Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, FAA, (26 June 1925 – 1 August 1997) known as Lawrie Johnson, was an Australian Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic botany, botanist. He worked at the Royal Botanic Garden ...

changed the name to ''Corymbia papuana''.

Distribution and habitat

''Corymbia papuana'' grows in grassy woodland usually on flats, but sometimes on stony hillsides. Hill and Johnson described the species as "endemic in southern parts of the island of New Guinea". Other authors include some Torres Strait Islands and northern parts of the Cape York Peninsula in the distribution.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5173735 papuana Myrtales of Australia Flora of Queensland Flora of New Guinea Plants described in 1875 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller