Eucalyptus dalrympleana

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Mountain gum
Eucalyptus dalrympleana in a botanical garden in Brest, France
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. dalrympleana
Binomial name
Eucalyptus dalrympleana

Eucalyptus dalrympleana, commonly known as mountain gum, mountain white gum, white gum and broad-leaved ribbon gum,[2] is a species of tree that is endemic to southeastern Australia. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of three or seven, white flowers and cup-shaped, bell-shaped or hemispherical fruit.

flower buds
immature fruit

Description[edit]

Eucalyptus dalrympleana is a tree that typically grows to a height of 40 m (130 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth white to yellowish bark, sometimes with a short stocking of rough bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have leaves arranged in opposite pairs and are egg-shaped or heart-shaped to more or less round, 25–70 mm (0.98–2.76 in) long and wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, lance-shaped to curved, the same colour on both sides, 80–220 mm (3.1–8.7 in) long and 10–40 mm (0.39–1.57 in) wide on a petiole 12–35 mm (0.47–1.38 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of three or seven in leaf axils on a peduncle 3–12 mm (0.12–0.47 in) long, the individual buds sessile or on a pedicel up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long. Mature buds are oval, green to yellow, 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering mainly occurs between March and June and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped, bell-shaped or hemispherical capsule 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) long and 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) wide.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming[edit]

Eucalyptus dalrympleana was first formally described in 1920 by Joseph Maiden from a specimen collected by Wilfred de Beuzeville near Yarrangobilly. The description was published in Maiden's book, The Forest Flora of New South Wales.[6][7] The specific epithet (dalrympleana) honours the forester, Richard Dalrymple Hay.[2]

In 1962, Lawrie Johnson described two subspecies and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

  • Eucalyptus dalrympleana Maiden subsp. dalrympleana[8] has flower buds arranged in groups of three;[4]
  • Eucalyptus dalrympleana subsp. heptantha L.A.S.Johnson[9] has flower buds and flowers in groups of seven.[4]

Distribution and habitat[edit]

Mountain gum grows in woodland and forest at higher elevations in far south-eastern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Subspecies heptantha is only found in far south-eastern Queensland and on the northern tablelands of New South Wales. Subspecies dalrympleana occurs south from the central and southern tablelands of New South Wales.[3][4] The species is rare in South Australia where it only occurs in the Mount Lofty Ranges.[10]

Use in horticulture[edit]

In cultivation in the UK, E. dalrympleana is fully hardy down to −15 °C (5 °F) but prefers some shelter. It grows best in full sun. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[11][12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Eucalyptus dalrympleana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Eucalyptus dalrympleana". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b Brooker, M. Ian; Slee, Andrew V. "Eucalyptus dalrympleana". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Hill, Ken. "Eucalyptus dalrympleana". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  5. ^ Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus dalrympleana". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  6. ^ "Eucalyptus dalrympleana". APNI. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Beuzeville, Wilfred Alexander Watt de (1884 - 1954)". Australian National Herbarium. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Eucalyptus dalrympleana subsp. dalrympleana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Eucalyptus dalrympleana subsp. heptantha". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Eucalyptus dalrympleana ssp. dalrympleana (Myrtaceae) Mountain White Gum". Seeds of South Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  11. ^ "Eucalyptus dalrympleana AGM". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  12. ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 36. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  • Holliday, I. A field guide to Australian trees (3rd edition), Reed New Holland, 2002