Eucalyptus brownii

Eucalyptus brownii, commonly known as the Brown's box or Reid River box,[2] is a species endemic to Queensland. It is a small to medium-sized tree with hard, tough, fissured bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven to fifteen, white flowers and usually cup-shaped fruit.

Brown's box
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. brownii
Binomial name
Eucalyptus brownii
Synonyms[1]

Eucalyptus bicolor var parviflora F.Muell. ex Benth.

foliage flowers and buds
foliage

Description

Eucalyptus brownii is a species of tree that typically grows to a height of 18 metres (59 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, hard, fibrous-flaky bark with whitish patches, pale and patchy grey or grey-brown in colour and is persistent on the trunk and on the larger branches. Leaves on young plants and on coppice regrowth are arranged alternately, broadly lance-shaped to egg-shaped, 40–90 millimetres (1.6–3.5 in) long, 14–32 mm (0.6–1.3 in) wide and have a petiole. The adult leaves are the same glossy green on both sides, lance-shaped, 60–170 millimetres (2.4–6.7 in) long, 10–36 mm (0.4–1.4 in) wide on a petiole 15–30 millimetres (0.6–1.2 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of eleven, thirteen or fifteen on a peduncle 3–8 millimetres (0.12–0.31 in) long, the individual flowers on a pedicel 1–4 millimetres (0.04–0.16 in) long. Mature buds are oval, 2–4 millimetres (0.08–0.16 in) long, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.12 in) wide with a rounded operculum. Flowering mainly occurs from August to October and the flowers are a creamy-white colour. The fruit is a woody, cup-shaped or sometimes bell-shaped capsule 2–3 millimetres (0.08–0.12 in) long and wide on a pedicel 1–3 millimetres (0.04–0.12 in) long, the valves eclosed or level with the rim.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus brownii was first formally described by Joseph Maiden and Richard Hind Cambage from specimens collected by Nicholas Daley along the Reid River near Townsville in 1912.[4][5][6][7] The specific epithet (brownii) honours Robert Brown.[5]

Distribution and habitat

Brown's box grows on plains and gentle slopes in central eastern Queensland. It is found between the Connors River south of Sarina, Barcaldine, Hughenden, Charters Towers and Townsville.[8] It is often found as part of open woodland communities along with Eucalyptus persistens with a shrub layer of Eremophila mitchellii, Psydrax oleifolia, Flindersia maculosa and Lysiphyllum species on clay soils in Cainozoic plains or in association with Eucalyptus cambageana and E. crebra in woodlands on low metamorphic rises.[9]

References
  1. "Eucalyptus brownii". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  2. "Eucalyptus brownii Brown's box, Reid River box". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  3. Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus brownii". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  4. "Eucalyptus brownii". APNI. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  5. Maiden, Joseph H.; Cambage, Richard H. (1914). "On a new species of Eucalyptus from northern Queensland". Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales. 47 (2): 215–217. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  6. "Daley, Nicholas (1882-1963 )". Australian National Herbarium. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  7. "Eucalyptus brownii". Eucalink. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  8. "Reid River box – Eucalyptus brownii". Wetlandinfo. Queensland Government. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  9. "Vegetation management regulation 2012- Schedule 2". Queensland Consolidated Regulations. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
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