Eucalyptus amplifolia

''Eucalyptus amplifolia'', commonly known as the cabbage gum, is a tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth bark on its trunk and branches, lance-shaped leaves, and buds in groups of between seven and fifteen or more. The flowers are white and the fruit are woody hemispherical capsules. It is common on the coastal areas and tablelands of New South Wales and adjacent areas in south eastern Queensland, occurring as far south as Bega.

Description

''Eucalyptus amplifolia'' is a tree that can grow to in height in forest situations, though it is often shorter in sparser woodland areas. It has smooth, often blotchy, white, cream, yellow, grey, pink or blue-grey bark throughout the trunk and branches, usually with loose, flaking grey slabs persistent at the base and lower trunk. The leaves on young plants are rounded, egg-shaped or triangular, green, long, and predominately held horizontal to the ground. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, broadly lance-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. Side-veins are 45° or greater to the midrib, and the leaves are of a dull or glossy green of same hue both sides of the leaf.

The flowers are arranged in groups of seven to fifteen or more, the groups on a flattened or angular peduncle long, the individual flowers sometimes on a pedicel up to long or sessile. The buds are cone-shaped, the floral cup hemispherical long, the operculum conical, long and about wide at the join. Flowering occurs between November and January and the fruit is a woody, hemispherical capsule long and wide on a pedicel long. There are three or four upward-pointing valves on the top of the fruit.

Taxonomy and naming

''Eucalyptus amplifolia'' was first formally described in 1891 by Charles Victor Naudin who published the description in ''Description and emploi des Eucalyptus: introduits en Europe principalement en France et en Algerie: second memoire''. The specific epithet (''amplifolia'') is derived from the Latin words ''amplus'' meaning "large" and ''folium'' meaning "leaf", referring to the large leaves of this eucalypt.

In 1990, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill described two subspecies of ''Eucalyptus amplifolia'':
* ''Eucalyptus amplifolia'' subsp. ''amplifolia'' has buds and fruit with a distinct pedicel;
* ''Eucalyptus amplifolia'' subsp. ''sessiliflora'' lacks a distinct pedicel.

Distribution and habitat

Cabbage gum grows in grassy woodland and forest, often in depressions and on river flats.
* Subspecies ''amplifolia'' is found on the coastal plains of New South Wales from Taree to Batemans Bay with disjunct populations as far north as Coffs Harbour as well as in the Megalong Valley and on the Southern Tablelands near Goulburn.
* Subspecies ''sessiliflora'' grows in northern New South Wales, occurring in the Tenterfield, Armidale and Casino districts and in adjacent areas in Queensland.

Gallery

File:Eucalyptus amplifolia - leaves.jpg, Leaves
File:Eucalyptus amplifolia - trunk bark.jpg, Trunk bark
File:Eucalyptus amplifolia trunk.jpg, Cabbage gum, bark
File:Eucalyptus amplifolia - immature tree.jpg, Young ''Eucalyptus amplifolia'' subsp. ''amplifolia''
File:Prospectcreek.jpg, A eucalyptus forest near Prospect Creek in Sydney, containing some ''cabbage gum'' trees.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5227428

amplifolia
Myrtales of Australia
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland
Trees of Australia