''Eucalyptus saligna'', commonly known as the Sydney blue gum or blue gum, is a species of medium-sized to tall 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 eastern Australia. It has rough, flaky bark near the base of the trunk, smooth bark above, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, nine or eleven, white flowers and cylindrical to conical or cup-shaped fruit.

Description

''Eucalyptus saligna'' is a tree with a straight trunk that typically grows to a height of , rarely to , a dbh 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 ...

. The trunk has smooth pale grey or white bark with of rough brownish bark at the base. 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 to egg-shaped or oblong leaves that are paler on the lower surface, long and wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, glossy green, paler on the lower surface, lance-shaped to curved, long and wide, on a petiole long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven, nine or eleven on an unbranched peduncle long, the individual buds

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

or on pedicels up to long. Mature buds are spindle-shaped, oval or diamond-shaped, long and wide with a conical or beaked operculum. Flowering occurs from December to March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody cylindrical, conical or cup-shaped capsule long and wide with the valves protruding above the rim.

Taxonomy and naming

''Eucalyptus saligna'' was first formally described in 1797 by English naturalist

James Edward Smith James Edward Smith may refer to: * James Edward Smith (botanist), English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society * James Edward Smith (murderer), American murderer * James Edward Smith (politician), Canadian businessman and mayor of Toronto * ...

in ''

Transactions of the Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature col ...

'', and still bears its original name. The species name ''saligna'' refers to some likeness to a

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist so ...

, though what attribute this is, is unclear. Retrieved 12-24-2011. It has been classified in the subgenus ''Symphyomyrtus'', Section ''Latoangulatae'', Series ''Transversae'' (eastern blue gums) by

Ian Brooker Murray Ian Hill Brooker AM (2 June 1934 – 25 June 2016), better known as Ian Brooker, was an Australian botanist. He was widely recognised as the leading authority on the genus ''Eucalyptus''. Ian Brooker was born in Adelaide, South Australi ...

and David Kleinig. Its two closest relatives are the flooded gum ('' E. grandis'') and the mountain blue gum ('' E. deanei'').

Distribution and habitat

Sydney blue gum is generally found within of the coastline in its range from Sydney to Maryborough in central Queensland. To the northwest, it is found in disjunct populations in central Queensland, including in

Eungella National Park Eungella National Park ( ; meaning "Land of the clouds") is a protected area in Queensland, Australia. It is on the Clarke Range at the end of the Pioneer Valley 80 km west of Mackay, and 858 km northwest of Brisbane. Eungel ...

, Kroombit Tops, Consuelo Tableland, Blackdown Tableland and Carnarvon Gorge. It grows in tall forests in more sheltered areas, on clay or loam soils, and alluvial sands. It is a component of the endangered

blue gum high forest The Blue Gum High Forest of the Sydney Basin Bioregion is a wet sclerophyll forest found in the northern parts of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It has been classified as critically endangered, under the New South Wales government's ''Threa ...

ecological community in the Sydney region. Populations found south of Sydney are now not considered to be ''E. saligna''. Associated trees include blackbutt ('' E. pilularis''), grey ironbark ('' E. paniculata''), mountain blue gum ('' E. deanei''), flooded gum (''E. grandis''), tallowwood ('' E. microcorys''), thin-leaved stringybark ('' E. eugenioides''), manna gum ('' E. viminalis''), river peppermint ('' E. elata''), grey gums ('' E. punctata'' and '' E. propinqua'' ), rough-barked apple ('' Angophora floribunda''), spotted gum (''

Corymbia maculata ''Corymbia maculata'', commonly known as spotted gum, is a species of medium-sized to tall tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has smooth, mottled bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of three, whit ...

''), turpentine (''

Syncarpia glomulifera ''Syncarpia glomulifera'', commonly known as the turpentine tree, or yanderra, is a tree of the family Myrtaceae native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia, which can reach in height. It generally grows on heavier soils. The cream fl ...

''), brush box (''

Lophostemon confertus ''Lophostemon confertus'' (syn. ''Tristania conferta''), is an evergreen tree native to Australia, though it is cultivated in the United States and elsewhere. Common names include brush box, Queensland box, Brisbane box, pink box, box scrub, and ...

'') and forest oak (''

Allocasuarina torulosa ''Allocasuarina torulosa'', the rose she-oak or forest oak, is a tree which grows in sub-rainforest (just outside the main forest area) of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. There, it is typically found on coastal footslopes, hills, and ...

''). South of Sydney Harbour and the

Parramatta River The Parramatta River is an intermediate tide-dominated, drowned valley estuary located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With an average depth of , the Parramatta River is the main tributary of Sydney Harbour, a branch of Port Jackson. S ...

, pure stands of ''E. saligna'' give way to hybrid populations with bangalay ('' E. botryoides'').

Ecology

''Eucalyptus saligna'' regenerates by regrowing from

epicormic bud An epicormic shoot is a shoot growing from an epicormic bud, which lies underneath the bark of a trunk, stem, or branch of a plant. Epicormic buds lie dormant beneath the bark, their growth suppressed by hormones from active shoots higher up t ...

s on the trunk and lower branches after bushfire. Trees live for over two hundred years. The

grey-headed flying fox The grey-headed flying fox (''Pteropus poliocephalus'') is a megabat native to Australia. The species shares mainland Australia with three other members of the genus ''Pteropus'': the little red '' P. scapulatus'', spectacled '' P. conspicill ...

(''Pteropus poliocephalus'') eats the flowers, the

koala The koala or, inaccurately, koala bear (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae and its closest living relatives are the w ...

(''Phascalarctos cinereus'') eats the leaves, and

crimson rosella The crimson rosella (''Platycercus elegans'') is a parrot native to eastern and south eastern Australia which has been introduced to New Zealand and Norfolk Island. It is commonly found in, but not restricted to, mountain forests and gardens. The ...

(''Platycercus elegans'') eats the seed. The

longhorn beetle The longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), also known as long-horned or longicorns, are a large family of beetles, with over 35,000 species described. Most species are characterized by extremely long antennae, which are often as long as or longer than ...

species '' Paroplites australis'', '' Agrianome spinicollis'' and '' Tessaromma undatum'' have been recorded from the Sydney blue gum. The presence of the territorial and aggressive

bell miner The bell miner (''Manorina melanophrys''), commonly known as the bellbird, is a colonial honeyeater, endemic to southeastern Australia. The common name refers to their bell-like call. 'Miner' is an old alternative spelling of 'myna', and is shar ...

(''Manorina melanophrys'') and psyllid insects ('' Glycaspis'') is correlated with dieback of the canopy of ''E. saligna'', a syndrome which has been termed bell-miner-associated dieback (BMAD), though the exact mechanism remains unclear. Retrieved 12-24-2011. After colonization by '' Glycaspis'', ''E. salinga'' may then be infested by the ambrosia beetle '' Amasa truncata''.

Uses

The wood of this species is heavy (about 850 kg/m³), fairly hard, coarse, even textured and reasonably easy to work. It is used for general building construction, panelling, and boat-building, and is highly prized for flooring and furniture because of its rich dark honey colour.Bootle KR. (1983). ''Wood in Australia. Types, properties and uses.'' McGraw-Hill Book Company, Sydney. File:Sydney Blue Gum (E.saligna) - stocking bark.jpg, Stocking bark File:Sydney Blue Gum (E.saligna) - trunk bark.jpg, Trunk bark File:Sydney Blue Gum (E.saligna) - bark shedding.jpg, Shedding bark File:Sydney Blue Gum (E.saligna) - leaves.jpg, Leaves File:Sydney Blue Gum (E.saligna) - buds.jpg, Buds File:Eucalyptus saligna seeds00.jpg, Seeds

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2837067 saligna Trees of Australia Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Plants described in 1797