Eucalyptus semiglobosa

Eucalyptus semiglobosa is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, broadly lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and ribbed or wrinkled, shortened spherical or hemispherical fruit.

Eucalyptus semiglobosa
Eucalyptus semiglobosa at Cape Le Grand National Park
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. semiglobosa
Binomial name
Eucalyptus semiglobosa
Synonyms[1]
  • Eucalyptus goniantha subsp. semiglobosa Brooker
  • Eucalyptus semiglobosa subsp. brevipedata L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill MS
flower buds and flowers
fruit

Description

Eucalyptus semiglobosa is a shrub 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall or mallee that typically grows to a height of 5 m (16 ft), and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth grey or light brown bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have stems that are square in cross-section and leaves that are the same shade of green on both sides, elliptic to egg-shaped, 20–105 mm (0.79–4.13 in) and 10–60 mm (0.39–2.36 in) wide. Adult leaves are broadly lance-shaped, the same shade of dull to slightly glossy green on both sides, 60–120 mm (2.4–4.7 in) and 18–38 mm (0.71–1.50 in) wide on a petiole 12–32 mm (0.47–1.26 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven on an unbranched peduncle 9–21 mm (0.35–0.83 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–8 mm (0.079–0.315 in) long. Mature buds are oval, ribbed, 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in) and 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) wide with a hemispherical operculum about the same length as the floral cup. The fruit is a woody, shortened spherical or hemispherical, ribbed or wrinkled capsule 8–10 mm (0.31–0.39 in) and 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) wide with the valves protruding above the rim.[2][3]

Taxonomy and naming

This species was first formally described in 1976 by Ian Brooker in the journal Nuytsia and given the name Eucalyptus goniantha subsp. semiglobosa.[4][5] In 1992, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill raised the subspecies to species status as E. semiglobosa in the journal Telopea and the change has been accepted at the Australian Plant Census.[6] The specific epithet (semiglobosa) is from the Latin semi- meaning "half" and globosa meaning "globose",[7] referring to the operculum.[2]

Distribution and habitat

This eucalypt is found in scattered populated growing on shallow sand over granite between the Cape Le Grand and Cape Arid National Parks in the Esperance Plains and Mallee biogeographic regions.[2][8]

Conservation status

Eucalyptus semiglobosa is classified as "Priority Three" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife[8] meaning that it is poorly known and known from only a few locations but is not under imminent threat.[9]

See also

References

  1. "Eucalyptus semiglobosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  2. Johnson, Lawrence A.S.; Hill, Kenneth D. (12 March 1992). "Systematic studies in the eucalypts. 5. New taxa and combination in Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 4 (4): 608–609. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  3. "Eucalyptus semiglobosa". Euclid:Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  4. "Eucalyptus goniantha subsp. semiglobosa". APNI. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  5. Brooker, M. Ian H. (1976). "Six new taxa of Eucalyptus from Western Australia". Telopea. 2 (2): 110–112. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  6. "Eucalyptus semiglobosa". APNI. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  7. Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 304. ISBN 9780958034180.
  8. "Eucalyptus semiglobosa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  9. "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
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