Eucalyptus scyphocalyx

Eucalyptus scyphocalyx, commonly known as goblet mallee,[2] is a species of mallee that is endemic to southern areas of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical fruit.

Goblet mallee
Buds and flowers of Eucalyptus scyphocalyx in the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. scyphocalyx
Binomial name
Eucalyptus scyphocalyx

Description

Eucalyptus scyphocalyx is a mallee that typically grows to a height of 2–6 m (6 ft 7 in–19 ft 8 in) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth pale brown and grey bark, although larger specimens often have a stocking of rough, ribbony bark near the base. Young plants and coppice regrowth have dull green, lance-shaped leaves that are 50–85 mm (2.0–3.3 in) long and 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) wide. Adult leaves are the same shade of green on both sides, lance-shaped, 60–105 mm (2.4–4.1 in) long and 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) wide, the base tapering to a petiole 8–23 mm (0.31–0.91 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of three or seven on an unbranched peduncle 3–16 mm (0.12–0.63 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long. Mature buds are cylindrical to spindle-shaped, 7–13 mm (0.28–0.51 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) wide with a hemispherical to conical operculum. Flowering mainly occurs from July or September to December and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped to cylindrical capsule 6–11 mm (0.24–0.43 in) long and 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) wide with the valves below rim level.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

The goblet mallet was first formally described in 1867 by George Bentham from an unpublished description by Ferdinand von Mueller. Bentham published the description in Flora Australiensis and the plant was given the name Eucalyptus dumosa var. scyphocalyx.[4][5] In 1929, Joseph Maiden and William Blakely raised the variety to species status as E. scyphocalyx, publishing the change in Maiden's book A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus.[6][7] The specific epithet (scyphocalyx) is from the ancient Greek word scyphos, referring to the cup-like calyx.[8][9]

In 2001, Lawrie Johnson and Donald Blaxell described two subspecies of E. scyphocalyx in the journal Telopea and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:[10]

  • Eucalyptus scyphocalyx (F.Muell. ex Benth.) Maiden & Blakely subsp. scyphocalyx[11] has flower buds in groups of seven;
  • Eucalyptus scyphocalyx subsp. triadica L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill[12] has flower buds in groups of three.[10]

Distribution and habitat

Eucalyptus scyphocalyx is found on sand plains between Jerramungup, Ravensthorpe and Salmon Gums in the Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions. Subspecies triadica has a more restricted distribution in an area northeast of Esperance.[10]

Conservation status

This eucalypt is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Eucalyptus scyphocalyx". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  2. "Eucalyptus scyphocalyx". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus scyphocalyx". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  4. "Eucalyptus dumosa var. scyphocalyx". APNI. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  5. Bentham, George (1867). Flora Australiensis. London: Lovell, Reeve & Co. p. 230. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  6. "Eucalyptus scyphocalyx". APNI. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  7. Maiden, Joseph (1929). A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus (Volume 8). Sydney: New South Wales Government Printer. pp. 45–46. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  8. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 304. ISBN 9780958034180.
  9. William T. Stearn (1992). Botanical Latin. History, grammar, syntax, terminology and vocabulary (4th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 488.
  10. Johnson, Lawrence A.S.; Blaxell, Donald F. (2001). "Systematic studies in the eucalypts. 11 - New taxa and combination in Eucalyptus Section Dumaria (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 9 (2): 288–293.
  11. "Eucalyptus scyphocalyx subsp. scyphocalyx". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  12. "Eucalyptus scyphocalyx subsp. triadica". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
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