''Eucalyptus fracta'' is a species of tree or mallee that is endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It has hard, grey to black " ironbark" on the trunk and larger branches, smooth whitish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, and cup-shaped fruit.

Description

''Eucalyptus fracta'' is a tree or mallee that typically grows to a height of and has hard, grey to black ironbark on the trunk and branches more than in diameter, smooth whitish bark above. Young plants have dull, bluish green, egg-shaped to more or less round leaves that are long and wide on a petiole long. Adult leaves are the same slightly glossy greyish green on both sides, lance shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven on a branched

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

long, the individual buds on a pedicel long. Mature buds are spindle-shaped, long and wide with a conical operculum. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped capsule long and wide.

Taxonomy and naming

''Eucalyptus fracta'' was first described in 1997 by Ken Hill from a specimen he collected in Charmhaven with Leonie Stanberg in 1995. The description was published in the journal '' Telopea''. 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 ...

(''fracta'') is a Latin word meaning "broken", a reference to the species' distribution.

Distribution and habitat

This eucalypt is only known from parts of the Broken Back Range near Cessnock where it grows in shallow soils on a sandstone escarpment.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15397914 fracta Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Trees of Australia Plants described in 1997