''Eucalyptus porosa'', commonly known as mallee box, Quorn mallee or water mallee,
is a species of
mallee or a 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 southern Australia. It has rough, fibrous or flaky bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth greyish bark above, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and barrel-shaped or shortened spherical fruit.
Description
''Eucalyptus porosa'' is a mallee that typically grows to a height of , or a tree to , 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 rough, fibrous or flaky, greyish bark on the trunk or stems, smooth whitish or grey bark above. Young plant 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 egg-shaped to 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 in leaf
axils in groups of seven on an unbranched
peduncle long, the individual buds on
pedicels up to long. Mature buds are oval, long and wide with a conical to rounded or slightly beaked
operculum. Flowering mainly occurs between October and March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, barrel-shaped or shortened spherical
capsule long and wide with the valves near rim level.
Taxonomy and naming
''Eucalyptus porosa'' was first formally described in 1856 by
Friedrich Miquel from an unpublished description by
Ferdinand von Mueller. Miquel's description was published in the journal ''Nederlandsch Kruidkundig Archief''.
The
specific epithet (''porosa'') is from the Latin ''porosus'' meaning "pierced with small holes", referring to small holes in the
anthers.
Distribution and habitat
Mallee box is widely distributed in the semi-arid regions of South Australia, north-western Victoria and south-western New South Wales. It grows in a variety of habitats including rocky ridges, coastal limestone,
mallee shrubland and woodland.
See also
*
List of ''Eucalyptus'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5405678
porosa
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of South Australia
Flora of Victoria (Australia)
Plants described in 1856