Eucalyptus valens

Eucalyptus valens is a mallet that typically grows to a height of 10 m (33 ft) but does not form a lignotuber. It has smooth white, pale grey or cream-coloured bark. Young plants have stems that are square in cross-section and leaves that are dull bluish green, egg-shaped to lance-shaped, 80–120 mm (3.1–4.7 in) long and 50–110 mm (2.0–4.3 in) wide. Adult leaves are glossy green, lance-shaped, 90–155 mm (3.5–6.1 in) long and 15–35 mm (0.59–1.38 in) wide tapering to a petiole 18–33 mm (0.71–1.30 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven on a thick, unbranched peduncle 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long, the individual buds sessile or on pedicels up to 2 mm (0.079 in) long. Mature buds are oval, 9–13 mm (0.35–0.51 in) long and 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) wide with a ribbed, conical or beaked operculum about equal in length to the operculum. The fruit is a sessile, cup-shaped capsule 6–11 mm (0.24–0.43 in) long and 8–11 mm (0.31–0.43 in) wide with the valves at rim level.[2][3][4]

Eucalyptus valens was first formally described in 2001 by Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill in the journal Telopea from specimens collected by Ian Brooker near Lake King in 1977.[3][5] The specific epithet (valens) is from a Latin word meaning to be vigorous or strong, referring to the habit of this species.[3]

This mallet grows in woodland on the subcoastal plain from near Mount Ragged in the Cape Arid National Park to Scaddan and Salmon Gums.[2][3]

This eucalypt is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[4]

• List of Eucalyptus species