Eucalyptus goniocarpa is a species of mallet that is endemic to southern Western Australia. It has smooth bark, glossy bluish adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three, creamy-white flowers, and ribbed, conical to barrel-shaped fruit.

Eucalyptus goniocarpa
Eucalyptus goniocarpa growing near Lake King
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. goniocarpa
Binomial name
Eucalyptus goniocarpa
flower buds
fruit

Description edit

Eucalyptus goniocarpa is a mallet, often with a short trunk, that typically grows to a height of 5 m (16 ft), or sometimes a multi-stemmed mallee to 4 m (13 ft), but does not form a lignotuber. It has smooth, grey to brown bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have lance-shaped, petiolate leaves that are 45–87 mm (1.8–3.4 in) long and 13–25 mm (0.51–0.98 in) wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, glossy bluish, 45–95 mm (1.8–3.7 in) long and 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) wide on a petiole up to 8 mm (0.31 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of three, sometimes seven, in leaf axils, on a flattened, unbranched peduncle 12–30 mm (0.47–1.18 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long. Mature buds are elongated oval to spindle-shaped, 11–17 mm (0.43–0.67 in) long and 5–7 mm (0.20–0.28 in) wide with two wings along the sides and an operculum up to twice as long as the floral cup. The flowers are creamy white and the fruit is a woody conical to barrel-shaped capsule 12–14 mm (0.47–0.55 in) long and 9–12 mm (0.35–0.47 in) wide with two wings that extend down the pedicel.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy and naming edit

Eucalyptus goniocarpa was first formally described in 1992 by Ken Hill and Lawrie Johnson from a collection made in 1986 by the authors with Donald Blaxell near Lake King. The description was published in the journal Telopea.[4][5] The specific epithet is derived from the Greek words gonia meaning 'an angle', and karpos, 'a fruit', referring to the strongly winged fruit.[4]

Distribution and habitat edit

This eucalypt is mostly restricted to the area around Lake King where it often grows in thickets.[3][4]

Conservation status edit

Eucalyptus goniocarpa is classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Eucalyptus goniocarpa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Eucalyptus goniocarpa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. ^ a b "Eucalyptus goniocarpa". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Hill, Kenneth D.; Johnson, Lawrence A.S. (1992). "Systematic studies in the eucalypts. 5. New taxa and combinations in Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) in Western Australia". Telopea. 4 (4): 582–584. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Eucalyptus goniocarpa". APNI. Retrieved 21 July 2019.