Eucalyptus virginea

Eucalyptus virginea is a species of tree that is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, narrow lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus virginea

Priority Four — Rare Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. virginea
Binomial name
Eucalyptus virginea
Hopper & Ward.-Johnson[1]

Description

Eucalyptus virginea is a tree that typically grows to a height of 20 m (66 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth pale grey bark, sometimes with insect scribbles. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, thin, glossy green, paler on the lower surface, narrow lance-shaped, 70–100 mm (2.8–3.9 in) long and 13–25 mm (0.51–0.98 in) wide, tapering to a petiole 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils on an unbranched peduncle 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) long. Mature buds are spherical to diamond-shaped, 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long and 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) wide with a rounded to conical operculum. Flowering occurs from December or January to July and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped capsule 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) wide with the valves protruding above the rim.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus virginea was first formally described in 2004 by Stephen Hopper and Greg Wardell-Johnson in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected in the Mount Lindesay National Park (now part of the Mount Barney National Park) in 1993.[4][5] The specific epithet (virginea) is from the Latin word virgineus meaning "pure white", referring to the white bark, but also to the forester Barney White.[4]

Distribution and habitat

This eucalypt grows in the transition zone between creek lines where karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) dominates, and drier uplands where marri (Corymbia calophylla) and jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) dominate. It occurs in the Mount Lindesay area, north of Denmark.

Conservation status

This species is classified as "Priority Four" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife,[2] meaning that is rare or near threatened.[6]

See also

References
  1. "Eucalyptus virginea". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  2. "Eucalyptus virginea". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  3. "Eucalyptus virginea". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  4. Hopper, Stephen D.; Wardell-Johnson, Greg (2004). "Eucalyptus virginea and E. relicta (Myrtaceae), two new rare forest trees from south-western Australia allied to E. lane-poolei, and a new phantom hybrid" (PDF). Nuytsia. 15 (2): 229–235. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  5. "Eucalyptus virginea". APNI. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  6. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
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