Eucalyptus mooreana
| Mountain white gum | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Eucalyptus |
| Species: | E. mooreana |
| Binomial name | |
| Eucalyptus mooreana | |
Eucalyptus mooreana, commonly known as Moore's gum or mountain white gum, is a mallee tree that is native to the Kimberley region of Western Australia.[2]
The straggly tree or mallee typically grows to a height of 2.5 to 9 metres (8 to 30 ft) with smooth white coloured bark. It blooms between May and August producing inflorescences with cream-white flowers.[2] The tree often has a crooked trunk. The pale, dull and leathery leaves are stem-clasping. The leaf blade is heart-shaped to around 15 centimetres (6 in) in length and around 9 cm (4 in) and arranged in opposite pairs. The stems, leaves and buds all mostly have a thick, waxy, powdery coating. The buds are a maroon colour and are found in groups of four to seven that eventually open into pale yellow flowers. E. mooreana is similar in appearance to and closely related to the Kalumburu Gum (Eucalyptus herbertiana) and Halls Creek White Gum (Eucalyptus cupularis) but can be distinguished from the other species by its stem-clasping leaves[3]
The species was formally described by the botanist Joseph Maiden in 1913 as part of the work Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales.[4] The species name mooreana honours Newton James Moore the once Minister of Lands who later became Premier of Western Australia.[5]
It is found on steep rocky slopes and summits in a small area of the Kimberley region of Western Australia where it grows in red sandy soils over sandstone[2] or quartzite in the King Leopold Range It is isolated to six separate populations, five of which are in conservation areas and one on a pastoral lease spread over a combined area of 295 square kilometres (114 sq mi). One of the populations comprised 150 individual plants while the others have not been surveyed.[3] It is found at reasonable high elevations including the summit of Mount Broome at 3,060 feet (930 m), Bold Bluff 2,760 feet (840 m) and Mount Leake 2,246 feet (685 m).[5]
The species is listed as threatened with the Department of Environment and Conservation in Western Australia[2] and in 2008 was listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 with the Australian Federal Government.[1] The main threats to the species are fire and grazing by cattle.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Eucalyptus mooreana — Mountain White Gum, Moores Gum". Species Profile and Threats Database. Department of the Environment and Energy. 16 December 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 "Eucalyptus mooreana". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
- 1 2 "Approved Conservation Advice for Eucalyptus mooreana (Mountain White Gum)" (PDF). Australian Government. 16 December 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ↑ "Eucalyptus mooreana W.Fitzg. ex Maiden". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- 1 2 Charles Austin Gardner (1960). "Trees of Western Australia Eight Eucalyptus Trees from the Tropical North". Journal of Agriculture. Department of Agriculture and Food. Retrieved 12 December 2017.