''Eucalyptus dawsonii'', known as slaty gum or slaty box, is a species of small to medium-sized tree that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to a small area of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. It has smooth, white, grey or yellow bark, sometimes with a short stocking of rough, flaky bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven on a branching

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

, white flowers and conical to barrel-shaped fruit. Eucalyptus dawsonii buds

Description

''Eucalyptus dawsonii'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth white, grey or yellow bark that is shred in short ribbons, sometimes with a short stocking of rough, flaky greyish bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have dull bluish green, more or less round or triangular leaves long and wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, the same dull colour on both surfaces, long and wide on a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged on a branching peduncle long, each branch with a group of seven buds, 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. Mature buds are oval, long, wide and

glaucous ''Glaucous'' (, ) is used to describe the pale grey or bluish-green appearance of the surfaces of some plants, as well as in the names of birds, such as the glaucous gull (''Larus hyperboreus''), glaucous-winged gull (''Larus glaucescens''), g ...

with a conical operculum. Flowering has been observed in March and November and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody conical to barrel-shaped capsule long and wide on a pedicel up to long and with the valves near rim level or enclosed in the fruit.

Taxonomy and naming

''Eucalyptus dawsonii'' was first formally described in 1899 by

Richard Thomas Baker Richard Thomas Baker (1 December 1854 – 14 July 1941) was an Australian economic botanist, museum curator and educator. Early life Baker was born in Woolwich, England, son of Richard Thomas Baker, a blacksmith, and his wife Sarah, née Colkett. ...

from a specimen he collected from "ridges on the watershed of the Goulburn River". The description was published in ''

Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales The Linnean Society of New South Wales promotes ''the Cultivation and Study of the Science of Natural History in all its Branches'' and was founded in Sydney, New South Wales ( Australia) in 1874 and incorporated in 1884. History The Society suc ...

''. 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 ...

(''dawsonii'') honours "Mr. James Dawson, L.S., of Rylstone" who collected plant specimens in that area.

Distribution and habitat

Slaty gum mainly grows in tall woodland between

Scone A scone is a baked good, usually made of either wheat or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent, and baked on sheet pans. A scone is often slightly sweetened and occasionally glazed with egg wash. The scone is a basic component of th ...

and the Capertee Valley.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5405575 dawsonii Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Trees of Australia Plants described in 1899 Taxa named by Richard Thomas Baker