Eucalyptus × phylacis

Eucalyptus × phylacis, commonly known as the Meelup mallee,[2] is a species of tree or a robust mallee that is endemic to a small area in the southwest of Western Australia. It has rough, hard and corky bark on the trunk and larger branches, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven, creamy white flowers and hemispherical fruit. It is possibly a hybrid between E. decipiens and E. virginea.

Meelup mallee
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. × phylacis
Binomial name
Eucalyptus × phylacis

Description

Eucalyptus × phylacis is a tree or robust mallee, that typically grows to a height of 5 m (16 ft) and forms a lignotuber. Young plants and coppice regrowth have egg-shaped to almost round, greyish blue leaves that are up to 50 mm (2 in) long and 40 mm (1.6 in) wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same shade of glossy green on both sides, 75–125 mm (3–5 in) long and 13–25 mm (0.5–1.0 in) wide, tapering to a petiole 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of eleven on an umbranched peduncle 7–15 mm (0.3–0.6 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–4 mm (0.08–0.16 in) long. Mature buds are oval to diamond-shaped, 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide with a conical operculum. Flowering occurs in May and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody, hemispherical capsule 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and wide with the valves strongly protruding.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy

Eucalyptus phylacis was first formally described in 1992 by Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill in the journal Telopea from a specimen collected on the east side of Cape Naturaliste in 1983.[4][5] In 2012, Dean Nicolle suggested that this species is a hybrid between E. decipiens and E. virginea and that although it flowers profusely, it does not produce viable seed.[6] The Australian Plant Census lists Eucalyptus × phylacis as an accepted species but a hybrid.[1]

Distribution and habitat

Meelup mallee is only known from a single population near Eagle Bay in the Meelup Regional Park where it grows in mallee heath.[3][4]

Conservation status

This eucalypt is classified as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia).[2]

See also

References
  1. "Eucalyptus × phylacis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  2. "Eucalyptus × phylacis". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. "Eucalyptus x phylacis". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  4. Hill, Kenneth D.; Johnson, Lawrence A.S. (1992). "Systematic studies in the eucalypts. 5. New taxa and combinations in Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 4 (4): 591–593. doi:10.7751/telopea19924948 (inactive 2021-01-10).CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2021 (link)
  5. "Eucalyptus × phylacis". APNI. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  6. Nicolle, Dean; French, Malcolm E. (2012). "A revision of Eucalyptus ser. Falcatae (Myrtaceae) fom south-western Australia, including the description of new taxa and comments of the probable hybrid origin of E. balanites, E. balanoplex amd E. phylacis" (PDF). Nuytsia. 22 (6): 448. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.