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Eucalyptus ammophila

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Sandplain red gum
Eucalyptus ammophila growing near Aramac
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. ammophila
Binomial name
Eucalyptus ammophila

Eucalyptus ammophila, commonly known as the sandplain red gum,[4] is a mallee that is endemic to central and southern Queensland. It has rough fibrous bark near the base and smooth greyish and orange to bronze bark higher up. It has lance-shaped leaves, yellow or creamy flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit with strongly raised valves.

foliage and fruit

Description

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Eucalyptus ammophila is a mallee that grows to 6 m (20 ft) high, rarely a small, multistemmed tree, and forms a lignotuber. The trunk has rough, fibrous, greyish brown bark and the upper parts of the trunk and the branches have smooth greyish and orange to bronze-coloured bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have square stems and broad lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves that are 60–85 mm (2.4–3.3 in) long and 22–36 mm (0.87–1.4 in) wide with a short petiole. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, 65–135 mm (2.6–5.3 in) long and 15–25 mm (0.59–0.98 in) wide with a petiole 7–25 mm (0.28–0.98 in) long. Both sides of the leaf are the same dull green, although bluish green at first.[3][5]

The flowers are arranged in groups of between seven and eleven in leaf axils on a peduncle 5–12 mm (0.2–0.5 in) long, each flower on a pedicel about 2 mm (0.08 in) long. The mature flower buds are oval to spindle-shaped, yellow or cream-coloured, 8–9 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long and about 5 mm (0.2 in) wide. The operculum is cone-shaped and about 6 mm (0.2 in) long. The fruit is a hemispherical capsule 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long and 6–9 mm (0.24–0.35 in) wide with the four, sometimes five, strongly raised valves.[3][5]

Taxonomy and naming

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Eucalyptus ammophila was first formally described in 1994 by Ian Brooker and Andrew Slee from a specimen collected in the Maranoa region of Queensland, and the description was published in the journal Austrobaileya.[2] The specific epithet (ammophila) means "sand-loving".[3]

Distribution and habitat

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The sandplain red gum grows on red or orange sandplains in central and southern Queensland, including areas near Charleville, Yalleroi Jericho and the White Mountains.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fensham, R.; Laffineur, B.; Collingwood, T. (2019). "Eucalyptus ammophila". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T133377733A133377735. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T133377733A133377735.en. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Eucalyptus ammophila". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d Brooker, M.I.H. & Slee, A.V. (1994) A new species of redgum (Eucalyptus subser. Phaeoxyla Blakely) from central and southern Queensland. Austrobaileya 4(2): 265-267, Figs 1, 2, Map 1. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Sandplain red gum – Eucalyptus ammophila". WetlandInfo. Queensland Government. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Eucalyptus ammophila". Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 23 February 2019.