From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Species of eucalyptus
Eucalyptus glaucina
, commonly known as the
slaty red gum
,
[2]
is a species of small to medium-sized tree
endemic
to New South Wales. It has smooth, white and grey bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical fruit with the valves protruding well above the level of the rim.
Description
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Eucalyptus glaucina
is a tree that typically grows to a height of 18?30 m (59?98 ft) and forms a
lignotuber
. It has smooth, mottled white and grey bark that is shed in large plates or flakes. Young plants and
coppice
regrowth have egg-shaped to almost round, bluish green to
glaucous
leaves that are 60?100 mm (2.4?3.9 in) long and 50?65 mm (2.0?2.6 in) wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same dull green to bluish or glaucous on both sides, 90?170 mm (3.5?6.7 in) long and 20?42 mm (0.79?1.65 in) wide on a
petiole
10?28 mm (0.39?1.10 in) long. The flower buds are glaucous at first, arranged in leaf
axils
in groups of seven on an unbranched
peduncle
7?20 mm (0.28?0.79 in) long, the individual buds on
pedicels
3?7 mm (0.12?0.28 in) long. Mature buds are oval or oblong to diamond-shaped, 9?14 mm (0.35?0.55 in) long and 4?7 mm (0.16?0.28 in) wide with a conical to horn-shaped
operculum
. Flowering has been recorded in November and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, hemispherical
capsule
3?6 mm (0.12?0.24 in) long and 6?10 mm (0.24?0.39 in) wide with the valves protruding well above the level of the rim.
[2]
[3]
[4]
[5]
Taxonomy and naming
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Slaty red gum was first formally described in 1934 by
William Blakely
who gave it the name
Eucalyptus umbellata
var.
glaucina
. The name was published in Blakely's book,
A Key to the Eucalypts
from specimens collected by John L. Boorman.
[6]
[7]
In 1962,
Lawrie Johnson
raised the variety to species status as
E. glaucina
.
[8]
Distribution and habitat
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Eucalyptus glaucina
grows in grassy woodland and forest. It was known in the past from the
Casino
,
Taree
,
Stroud
,
Dungog
and
Paterson
districts but is at present only conserved in a single flora reserve near Casino.
[4]
[5]
[9]
Conservation status
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Slaty red gum is listed as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
and the New South Wales Government
Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016
. The main threats to the species are loss of habitat due to land clearing, lack of regeneration due to grazing pressure and hybridisation with other red gum species.
[5]
[9]
References
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