''Eucalyptus dealbata'', known as the tumbledown red gum or hill redgum, is a species of small 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 eastern Australia. It has mostly smooth, white to grey or brownish bark, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit with the valves extended well beyond the rim of the fruit. Eucalyptus dealbata buds

Description

''Eucalyptus dealbata'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth white to grey or brownish bark, sometimes with persistent slabs of rough grey bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have leaves that are egg-shaped, bluish green, long and wide. Adult leaves are the same dull bluish green on both sides, lance-shaped to egg-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. The buds are arranged in groups of seven or nine, rarely eleven, in leaf

axil A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

s on an unbranched 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. Mature buds are oval to diamond-shaped,

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 ...

, long and wide with a conical operculum long. Flowering occurs between September and November and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, hemispherical capsule long and wide with the valves extended well beyond the rim of the fruit.

Taxonomy and naming

''Eucalyptus dealbata'' was first formally described in a manuscript by Allan Cunningham but the description was published in 1843 by Johannes Schauer in Walper's book ''Repertorium Botanices Systematicae''. 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 ...

(''dealbata'') is a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word meaning "whitened" referring to the glaucous flower buds and fruit.

Distribution and habitat

The tumbledown red gum grows in grassy open woodland in poor, rocky soil south from

Emerald Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p ...

Queensland ) , 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_ ...

through the western slopes and tablelands 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 ...

. Some authorities list it as occurring in Victoria but the

Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria are botanical garden, botanic gardens across two sites–Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, Melbourne and Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne, Cranbourne. Melbourne Gardens was founded in 1846 when land was rese ...

lists examples occurring in that state as referring to ''

Eucalyptus blakelyi ''Eucalyptus blakelyi'', known as Blakely's red gum, is a tree endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth bark on its trunk and branches, dull bluish green, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, white flowers and cup ...

''.

Uses

This eucalypt is a major source of pollen and the honey produced from it is pleasantly flavoured.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4529684 dealbata Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1843 Taxa named by Johannes Conrad Schauer