''Eucalyptus petraea'', commonly known as granite rock box,
is a species of
mallee or a 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 else ...
to Western Australia. It has thin, ribbony or flaky to fibrous bark on the lower trunk, smooth greyish above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and conical fruit.
Description
''Eucalyptus petraea'' is a mallee or small tree that typically grows to a height of 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 ...
. It has thin, ribbony to flaky or fibrous bark on the lowest of the trunk, smooth greyish bark above. Young plants and
coppice
Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management which exploits the capacity of many species of trees to put out new shoots from their stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, which is called a copse, young tree stems are repeate ...
regrowth have lance-shaped leaves that are long and wide. Adult leaves are the same shade of glossy green on both sides, lance-shaped, long and wide, tapering to a
petiole long. The flower buds are arranged on the ends of branchlets in groups of seven on a branched
peduncle long, the individual buds on
pedicels
In botany, a pedicel is a stem that attaches a single flower to the inflorescence. Such inflorescences are described as ''pedicellate''.
Description
Pedicel refers to a structure connecting a single flower to its inflorescence. In the absenc ...
long. Mature buds are oval, long and wide with a blunt, conical
operculum. Flowering occurs from January to February and from August to September and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody, conical
capsule long and wide with the valves below rim level.
Taxonomy and naming
''Eucalyptus petraea'' was first formally described in 1983 by
Denis and
Stella Carr in the journal ''
Nuytsia
''Nuytsia floribunda'' is a hemiparasitic tree found in Western Australia. The species is known locally as moodjar and, more recently, the Christmas tree or Western Australian Christmas tree. The display of intensely bright flowers during the ...
'' from material they collected near
Gnarlbine Rock in 1980.
The
specific epithet (''petraea'') is from the Latin word ''petraueus'' meaning "growing among rocks".
Distribution and habitat
Granite rock box grows in isolated locations near granite boulders between
Coorow,
Merredin and Karonie, east of
Kalgoorlie.
See also
*
List of ''Eucalyptus'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15354278
Eucalypts of Western Australia
Trees of Australia
petraea
Myrtales of Australia
Plants described in 1983
Taxa named by Maisie Carr