Eucalyptus longifolia
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Eucalyptus longifolia, commonly known as woollybutt,[1] is a species of medium-sized tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It has thick, fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, white flowers and cup-shaped to cylindrical or hemispherical fruit. The drooping flower heads in groups of three are a distinguishing feature. It grows in heavy soils often near water.
Description
Eucalyptus longifolia is a tree that typically grows to a height of Template:Cvt and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, fibrous to flaky bark on the trunk and branches thicker than about Template:Cvt. The trunk diameter is up to Template:Cvt. Young plants and coppice regrowth have stems that are more or less square in cross-section and leaves that are egg-shaped to broadly lance-shaped, Template:Cvt long and Template:Cvt wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, the same dull greyish green on both sides, Template:Cvt long and Template:Cvt wide, on a petiole Template:Cvt long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of three in leaf axils on an unbranched peduncle Template:Cvt long, the individual buds on pedicels Template:Cvt long. Mature buds are pendulous, oval to diamond-shaped, Template:Cvt long and Template:Cvt wide with a conical operculum. Flowering occurs from March to June and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, cup-shaped to cylindrical or hemispherical capsule Template:Cvt long and Template:Cvt wide with the valves near rim level.[1][2][3][4][5]
Taxonomy
Eucalyptus longifolia was first formally described in 1822 by Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link in his book, Enumeratio Plantarum Horti Regii Berolinensis Altera.[6][7] The specific epithet (longifolia) is derived from the Latin words longus "long" and folium "leaf".[8]
Within the genus Eucalyptus, this species belongs in the subgenus Symphyomyrtus.[9]
Distribution and habitat
The range of woollybutt is from Morisett in central New South Wales south to the Victorian border.[2] In the north of its range it is more scattered in its distribution, but becomes more common south of Nowra to Bega.[5] It generally grows on clay soils and floodplains, sometimes in areas with poor drainage,[10] in valleys and low areas.[5] In open sclerophyll forest, it grows alongside such trees as white mahogany (E. acmenoides), grey box (E. moluccana), forest red gum (E. tereticornis), and rough-barked apple (Angophora floribunda), while in swampy areas it is found with swamp mahogany (E. robusta) and paperbark species such as snow-in-summer (Melaleuca linariifolia), prickly paperbark (M. styphelioides) and swamp paperbark (M. ericifolia).[10]
Ecology
The woollylbutt can regenerate via epicormic buds if its crown is damaged by bushfire. Trees live for over a hundred years. Along with many bird species the grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) and little red flying fox (P. scapulatus) feed on nectar produced by the woollybutt flowers.[10]
Uses
The dark red timber is hard and resistant to water,[9] and termites.[10] It has been used in railway sleepers and other general construction.[5] The woollybutt is also important in beekeeping and the honey industry.[9] It is useful as a shade tree or windbreak in paddocks, but grows too large for the average garden.[9]
References
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- ↑ Backer, C.A. (1936). Verklarend woordenboek der wetenschappelijke namen van de in Nederland en Nederlandsch-Indië in het wild groeiende en in tuinen en parken gekweekte varens en hoogere planten (Edition Nicoline van der Sijs).
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