Eucalyptus acroleuca

Eucalyptus acroleuca, commonly known as the Lakefield coolibah,[3] is a tree that is endemic to Cape York Peninsula in northern Australia. It has rough, tessellated bark near its base then smooth, white bark, lance-shaped leaves, oval to club-shaped buds with a hemispherical operculum and cup-shaped fruits.

Lakefield coolibah
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. acroleuca
Binomial name
Eucalyptus acroleuca

Description

Eucalyptus acroleuca is a tree that grows to a height of up to 25 m (80 ft) with hard black or dark grey, tessellated bark for the lowest 2–4 mm (0.08–0.2 in) of its trunk. The upper bark is smooth, white and shed annually. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, 70–170 mm (3–7 in) long and 6–20 mm (0.2–0.8 in) wide with a petiole 4–15 mm (0.2–0.6 in) long. The flowers are arranged in groups of up to seven on a thin, cylindrical peduncle up to 8 mm (0.3 in) long, individual flowers on a cylindrical pedicel 1–3 mm (0.039–0.12 in) long. The buds are oval to club-shaped, 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.14 in) long and 1.5–2.5 mm (0.059–0.098 in) wide at maturity. The operculum is hemispherical, about half as long as the flower cup. The fruit is a cup-shaped capsule, 2–3 mm (0.079–0.12 in) long and 1.5–2.5 mm (0.06–0.1 in) wide.[4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus acroleuca was first formally described in 1994 by Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill from a specimen collected near the New Laura Homestead.[6][4] The specific epithet (acroleuca) is derived from the Ancient Greek words acros meaning "highest" and leucos meaning "white", referring to the white bark on the higher branches of this species.[4][5]

Distribution and habitat

This tree often grows in pure stands in woodland in heavy soils that are flooded in the wet season, and often grows near permanent lagoons. It occurs in the Rinyirru National Park.[4]

Conservation

Eucalyptus acroleuca is classed as "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.[7]

See also

References
  1. Fensham, R., Collingwood, T. & Laffineur, B. 2019. Eucalyptus acroleuca. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T133377648A133377650. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T133377648A133377650.en. Downloaded on 20 September 2021.
  2. "Eucalyptus acroleuca". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  3. "Lakefield coolibah – Eucalyptus acroleuca". WetlandInfo. Queensland Government. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  4. Hill, Kenneth D.; Johnson, Lawrence A. (26 April 1994). "Systematic studies in the eucalypts. 6. A revision of the coolibahs, Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus section Adnataria series Oliganthae subseries Microthecosae (Myrtaceae)". Telopea: 748–749. doi:10.7751/telopea19943000.
  5. "Eucalyptus acroleuca". Euclid: Eucalypts of Australia. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  6. "Eucalyptus acroleuca". APNI. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  7. "Lakefield coolibah - Eucalyptus acroleuca". The State of Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
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