Eucalyptus resinifera

''Eucalyptus resinifera'', commonly known as red mahogany or red messmate, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree endemic to coastal areas of eastern Australia. It has rough, stringy or fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and hemispherical, conical or cup-shaped fruit.

Description

''Eucalyptus resinifera'' is a tree that typically grows to a height of and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, stringy or fibrous, reddish brown bark in long strips on the trunk and branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have dull green, lance-shaped leaves that are paler on the lower surface and long, wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, dark, glossy green on the upper surface, paler below, lance-shaped or curved, long and wide, tapering to a petiole long and with a fine, long point. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven, nine or eleven on an unbranched peduncle long, the individual buds on pedicels long. Mature buds are oval to spindle-shaped, long and wide with a conical, horn-shaped or beaked operculum. Flowering occurs in December and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, hemispherical, conical or cup-shaped capsule long and wide with the valves protruding strongly.

Taxonomy and naming

''Eucalyptus resinifera'' was first formally described in 1790 by James Edward Smith in John White's book, ''Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales'', from material collected by White at Port Jackson. The specific epithet (''resinifera'') is from the Latin ''resiniferus'' meaning "resin-bearing".

In 1990, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill described two subspecies, and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:
* ''Eucalyptus resinifera'' subsp. ''hemilampra'' (F.Muell.) L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill (originally described by Ferdinand von Mueller as ''Eucalyptus hemilampra'');
* ''Eucalyptus resinifera'' Sm. subsp. ''resinifera''.

The two subspecies differ in the length of the operculum. In subspecies ''resinifera'' it is less than three times as long as the floral cup and in species ''hemilampra'' more than three times as long.

Distribution and habitat

Red mahogany is found in coastal areas from Nowra in New South Wales to Gladstone in Queensland, with disjunct populations further north as far as Coen. It grows in forest on flats, valleys and gentle slopes, preferring soils of medium to high fertility. Subspecies ''hemilampra'' occurs between Taree and Gladstone, whilst subspecies ''resinifera'' occurs between Nowra and Taree, then disjunctly north of Gladstone.A Field Guide to Eucalypts Volume 1 Brooker & Kleinig page 135

Ecology

Red mahogany has wildlife value as a food tree for koalas.

Uses

The timber of red mahogany is well regarded for its high quality, being very hard and heavy, and having dark-red heartwood. It has multiple uses including flooring, panelling, cladding, boat building, railroad ties and general construction. It is also a good choice for making poles and charcoal.

''E. resinifera'' has been exported for use as a crop plant on plantations in varying locales in Africa (Madagascar, South Africa and Zimbabwe), Western Europe (Italy and Portugal), and the U.S. ( Hawaiian Islands).Larouse Pocket Guide Trees of Britain and Europe page 164

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q151013

resinifera
Myrtales of Australia
Flora of New South Wales
Flora of Queensland