Eucalyptus longicornis

''Eucalyptus longicornis'', commonly known as red morrel, morryl, poot or pu, is a species of large tree that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It has rough, fibrous, fissured bark on the trunk, smooth greyish bark above, flower buds in groups of seven or more, white flowers and shortened spherical fruit.

Description

''Eucalyptus longicornis'' is a tree that typically that grows to a height of and can reach as high as . It has rough, grey brown, fibrous, often fissured bark on the trunk, smooth white to greyish bark above. Young plants and coppice regrowth have stems that are glaucous, more or less square in cross-section, and sessile, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves that are long and wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, thick, the same shade of glossy green on both sides, linear to narrow lance-shaped, long and wide, tapering to a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of between seven and thirteen in leaf axils on an unbranched peduncle long, the individual buds on pedicels long. Mature buds are oval, long and wide with a pointed operculum long. Flowering occurs between December and February and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody shortened spherical capsule long and wide with the valves protruding well above the rim of the fruit. The capsules contain over 200 seeds per gram and persist on the tree until at least the following year, often longer.

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 1878 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name ''Eucalyptus oleosa'' var. ''longicornis'' and published the description in '' Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae''. In 1919 Joseph Maiden noted that Mueller had referred to the species as ''Eucalyptus longicornis'', including in his book ''Eucalyptographia'' without having published a description of that species. Maiden published the new name in '' Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales'', acknowledging Mueller's first use of it.

The Noongar peoples know the tree as morryl, poot or put.

The specific epithet (''longicornis'') is derived from the Latin words ''longus'' meaning "long" and ''cornu'' meaning "horn", referring to the shape of the flower buds.

Distribution

The red morrel is distributed through the Wheatbelt and southern Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia. It is found growing in loamy soils, often over limestone or clay loam on flats. The dark red loams, that are rich in minerals and often slightly saline, associated with the decomposition of the fine-grained dolerite gneiss dykes and outcropping units of the Yilgarn Block best suit the tree.

Ecology

The species is usually found in woodland communities where it is an overstorey tree, in an unmixed stand or with '' E. salmonophloia'' and either '' E. melanoxylon'', '' E. wandoo'', '' E. loxophleba'', '' E. astringens'' or '' E. kondininensis''. Associated species in the understorey include ''Sclerolaena diacantha'', ''Lycium australe'', ''Acacia merrallii'', '' Melaleuca pauperiflora'' and '' Rhagodia drummondii''.

Conservation status

This eucalypt is classified as "not threatened" in Western Australia by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.

Uses

''Eucalyptus longicornis'' is a tall tree with potential to be cultivated on highly alkaline, saline and clayey soils. It is marketed as an ornamental or windbreak species and is useful for apiculture. The wood was used historically in the mining industry as a source of timber and fuel. The fine-textured, reddish to dark red-brown wood has considerable potential for use in high value furniture and craftwood.

See also

* List of ''Eucalyptus'' species

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7212964

Eucalypts of Western Australia
Trees of Australia
longicornis
Myrtales of Australia
Plants described in 1878
Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller
Taxa named by Joseph Maiden