''Eucalyptus staigeriana'', commonly known as the lemon-scented ironbark, is a species of small

ironbark Ironbark is a common name of a number of species in three taxonomic groups within the genus ''Eucalyptus'' that have dark, deeply furrowed bark. Instead of being shed annually as in many of the other species of ''Eucalyptus'', the dead bark accum ...

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 the

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupació ...

. It has rough ironbark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves that smell of lemons when crushed, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and oval to spindle-shaped fruit.

Description

''Eucalyptus staigeriana'' is a 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 rough, dark grey or black ironbark on the trunk and branches. 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 greyish green to glaucous, egg-shaped leaves that are long and wide and petiolate. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same shade of dull-green to glaucous on both sides, lance-shaped to egg-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. The leaves smell strongly of lemons when crushed. 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 to spindle-shaped, long and wide with a conical to beaked operculum. Flowering occurs from December to February and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody oval to spindle-shaped capsule long and wide with the valves near rim level or below it.

Taxonomy and naming

''Eucalyptus staigeriana'' was first formally described in 1883 by

Frederick Manson Bailey Frederick Manson Bailey (8 March 1827 – 25 June 1915) was a botanist active in Australia, who made valuable contributions to the characterisation of the flora of Queensland. He was known by his middle name, Manson. Early life Bailey was bo ...

from an unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller. The description was published in Bailey's book ''A Synopsis of the Queensland Flora''. The specific epithet (''staigeriana'') honours Karl Theodore Staiger (1833-1888).

Distribution and habitat

The lemon-scented ironbark grows in woodland and open forest in hilly country on the eastern side of the Cape York Peninsula.

Conservation status

This eucalypt is classified as "least concern" under the Queensland Government ''

Nature Conservation Act 1992 The ''Nature Conservation Act 1992'' is an act of the Parliament of Queensland, Australia, that, together with subordinate legislation, provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota. As originally published, it pro ...

''.

Uses

The complex essential oil is distilled from the leaves and used for

flavouring A flavoring (or flavouring), also known as flavor (or flavour) or flavorant, is a food additive used to improve the taste or smell of food. It changes the perceptual impression of food as determined primarily by the chemoreceptors of the gus ...

perfumery Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

and

aromatherapy Aromatherapy is based on the usage of aromatic materials including essential oils and other aroma compounds, with claims for improving psychological and physical well-being. It is offered as a complementary therapy or as a form of alternative ...

. It has a fruity-lemon fragrance with rosemary-like back tones. ''E. staigeriana'' fresh weight leaves yield 2.9–3.4% essential oil. It contains a range of essential oil components, including

geranial Citral is an acyclic monoterpene aldehyde, and being a monoterpene, it is made of two isoprene units. Citral is a collective term which covers two geometric isomers that have their own separate names; the ''E''-isomer is named geranial (''trans ...

, methyl geranate,

geranyl acetate Geranyl acetate is a monoterpene. It is a colorless liquid with a pleasant floral or fruity rose aroma. It is a colorless liquid but commercial samples can appear yellowish. Geranyl acetate is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. S ...

limonene Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the oil of citrus fruit peels. The -isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring a ...

phellandrene Phellandrenes are a pair of organic compounds that have a similar molecular structure and similar chemical properties. α-Phellandrene and β-phellandrene are cyclic monoterpenes and are double-bond isomers. In α-phellandrene, both double bon ...

, neral,

terpinolene The terpinenes are a group of isomeric hydrocarbons that are classified as monoterpenes. They each have the same molecular formula and carbon framework, but they differ in the position of carbon-carbon double bonds. α-Terpinene has been isolate ...

and

geraniol Geraniol is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol. It is the primary component of citronella oil and is a primary component of rose oil, palmarosa oil. It is a colorless oil, although commercial samples can appear yellow. It has low solubility in w ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and Guatemala are the major producers of ''Eucalyptus staigeriana'' oil, with Brazil producing up to 60 tonnes pa.Cribb, A.B. & J.W., ''Useful Plants in Australia'', Collins 1982, p 28,

References

* Boland ''et al.,'' ''Eucalyptus Leaf Oils – Use, Chemistry, Distillation and Marketing'', .

External links

* Plant profile, including cultivation requirement

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2920624 Bushfood Flora of Queensland staigeriana Myrtales of Australia Trees of Australia Crops originating from Australia Plants described in 1883 Taxa named by Ferdinand von Mueller Taxa named by Frederick Manson Bailey