Eucalyptus fasciculosa

Pink gum
Eucalyptus fasciculosa in Jardin botanique Barcelone
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Eudicots
Clade:Rosids
Order:Myrtales
Family:Myrtaceae
Genus:Eucalyptus
Species: E. fasciculosa
Binomial name
Eucalyptus fasciculosa
Synonyms

Eucalyptus paniculata var. fasciculosa (F.Muell.) Benth.

Eucalyptus fasciculosa, the pink gum, hill gum or scrub gum,[1] is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Australia. It was first described by Mueller in 1855.[2]

Description

The tree has a single stem and typically grows to a height of 15 metres (49 ft) and a width of 12 metres (39 ft).[3] It has off-white to slaty blue bark that is smooth and sheds in flakes, the bark is rough and permanent toward the base of the stem and larger branches. The adult leaves are arranged alternately and are supported on 14 to 28 millimetres (0.55 to 1.10 in) long petioles. The leaf blades are dull and thick with a narrow to broad lanceolate shape. The blade is approximately 8 to 16 centimetres (3.1 to 6.3 in) long and 1.2 to 3.5 cm (0.47 to 1.38 in) wide.[1] They are evergreen and a glossy green to blue-green colour.[4]

The tree blooms between May and January producing terminal or axillary conflorescences with four to seven flowered umbellasters that are white in colour. It can also form flowers through the year when conditions are suitable.[5] Woody fruits form later and have a pear to cylindrical shape and are 6 to 10 mm (0.24 to 0.39 in) in length and 6 to 10 mm (0.24 to 0.39 in) wide. They contain grey to red-brown, irregularly shaped seeds.[1]

The canopy is not dense and other plants are able to grow in the dappled shade provided by the tree. The species is very similar in appearance to Eucalyptus leucoxylon.[5]

Classification

The species was first formally described by the botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1855 as part of the work Description of fifty new Australian plants, chiefly from the colony of Victoria. as published in Transactions and Proceedings of the Victorian Institute for the Advancement of Science. The only known synonym is Eucalyptus paniculata var. fasciculosa as described by George Bentham in 1867 in the work Orders XLVIII. Myrtaceae- LXII. Compositae. in Flora Australiensis.[6]

The species name fasciculosa from the Latin word fasciculus which means fascicle and refers to the structure of the inflorescence which is grouped as a bundle.[4]

Distribution

The species is found in the south east of South Australia from around Adelaide, South Australia and the Mount Lofty Ranges extending to the south east to the Murray Darling depression and into the far south west of Victoria.[1] It is common in South Australia but considered rare in Victoria. It is also found on Kangaroo Island. It grows well in well-drained sandy soils that are nutrient poor.[4] In Victoria the species is only found in the Langkoop and Dergholm districts, where it grows in impoverished sandy loam soils that are well-watered.[7]

Uses

It has a moderate growth rate and is able to tolerate low rainfall, moderate wind, including second-line salt wind and light frost.[3] It is planted for as an ornamental tree in gardens, parks and as a street tree.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet: Eucalyptus fasciculosa". eFlora SA. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Eucalyptus fasciculosa F. Muell". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  3. 1 2 "Eucalyptus fasciculosa Pink Gum Myrtaceae". Plant this. 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus fasciculosa (Myrtaceae) Pink Gum". Seeds of South Australia. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus fasciculosa" (PDF). Adelaide Nursery. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Eucalyptus fasciculosa F.Muell". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Eucalyptus fasciculosa F.Muell. Pink Gum". Flora of Victoria. Government of Victoria. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
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