''Eucalyptus brassiana'', commonly known as Cape York gum, gum-topped peppermint or as karo in
PNG is a small to medium-sized tree that is native to northern
Queensland
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, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
and PNG. It has rough, hard, fissured bark on the trunk and smooth greyish bark on the branches, narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical or cup-shaped fruit.
Description
''Eucalyptus brassiana'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of about 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 ...
. The bark on the lower part of the trunk but sometimes extending to the branches is rough, hard and dark grey to black. The bark above is smooth grey over white to creamy yellow. The leaves on young plants are arranged in opposite pairs, egg-shaped to broadly lance-shaped, long, wide and dull green. The adult leaves are narrow lance-shaped, often curved, long and wide on a
petiole long. They are the same colour glossy green on both surfaces. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven on a
peduncle long, the individual buds on a
pedicel
Pedicle or pedicel may refer to:
Human anatomy
*Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures
...
long. The mature buds are creamy yellow, oval, long and wide with a conical to horn-shaped
operculum long. The flowers are white and the fruit is a woody, hemispherical to cup-shaped
capsule long and wide with the four or five valves extending beyond the rim of the fruit.
Taxonomy and naming
''Eucalyptus brassiana'' was first formally described in 1977 by
Stanley Thatcher Blake
Stanley Thatcher Blake (1910 – 24 February 1973) was an Australian botanist who served as president of the Royal Society of Queensland and who was associated with the Queensland Herbarium beginning in 1945 until his death.
Background
Prior to ...
from a specimen he collected at
Cooktown
Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs ...
in 1958. The description was published in the journal ''Austrobaileya''.
The
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
(''brassiana'') honours
Leonard John Brass
Leonard John Brass (17 May 1900 – 29 August 1971) was an Australian and American botany, botanist, plant collecting, botanical collector and explorer.
Early life
Brass was born at Toowoomba, Queensland. He was trained at the Queensland Herbar ...
, who collected plant specimens on
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: Agrupación ...
.
Distribution and habitat
Cape York red gum grows in woodland and open forest on seasonally flooded flats, on rocky slopes and undulating plains. It occurs on the north-eastern side of the Cape York Peninsula and as far south as
Helenvale. It is also found in south-western Papua New Guinea.
See also
*
List of ''Eucalyptus'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15400313
Rosids of Australia
brassiana
Myrtales of Australia
Plants described in 1977
Taxa named by Stanley Thatcher Blake