Eucalyptus percostata, commonly known as the rib-capped mallee or Devils peak mallee,[2] is a species of mallee that is endemic to South Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped to conical fruit. It is only known from a few locations in the Flinders Ranges.
| Rib-capped mallee | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Eucalyptus |
| Species: | E. percostata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Eucalyptus percostata | |
Description edit
Eucalyptus percostata is a mallee that typically grows to a height of 3–10 m (9.8–32.8 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth whitish bark that is coppery when new. Young plants and coppice regrowth have broadly lance-shaped to broadly egg-shaped leaves that are 50–100 mm (2.0–3.9 in) long and 30–60 mm (1.2–2.4 in) wide. Adult leaves are the same shade of green on both sides, lance-shaped, 70–120 mm (2.8–4.7 in) long and 12–25 mm (0.47–0.98 in) wide tapering to a petiole 10–22 mm (0.39–0.87 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils on a peduncle 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) long, the individual buds sessile or on pedicels up to 2 mm (0.079 in) long. Mature buds are pear-shaped, 8–12 mm (0.31–0.47 in) long and 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) wide with a conspicuously ribbed, rounded to conical operculum. Flowering from May to September and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody, cup-shaped to conical capsule 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long and 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) wide with the valves near rim level.[2][3][4][5]
Taxonomy edit
Eucalyptus percostata was first formally described in 1990 by Ian Brooker and Peter Lang in Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens from material collected on a track east of Devils Peak, near Quorn in 1986.[3][6] The specific epithet (percostata) is from Latin meaning "conspicuously ribbed", referring to the operculum.[4]
Distribution and habitat edit
Rib-capped mallee grows in woodland and mallee in the southern Flinders Ranges between Quorn and Napperby.[3][5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Eucalyptus percostata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ a b Nicolle, Dean (2013). Native Eucalypts of South Australia. Adelaide: Dean Nicolle. pp. 134–135.
- ^ a b c Brooker, M. Ian H.; Lang, Peter J. (1990). "Two new mallee species from South Australia in Eucalyptus L'Hér. series Rufispermae Maiden" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. 13: 65–70. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Eucalyptus percostata". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Eucalyptus percostata (Myrtaceae) Ribbed White Mallee". Seeds of South Australia. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ "Eucalyptus percostata". APNI. Retrieved 29 November 2019.