Eucalyptus effusa

Taxonavigation: Myrtales 
Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Myrtales

Familia: Myrtaceae
Subfamilia: Myrtoideae
Tribus: Eucalypteae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species: Eucalyptus effusa
Name

Eucalyptus effusa Brooker

Eucalyptus effusa, commonly known as rough-barked gimlet,[2] is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has thin, rough bark on the base of the trunk, smooth bark above, linear to narrow lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds arranged in groups of seven, white flowers and cup-shaped to conical fruit.

Description

Eucalyptus effusa is a mallee or small tree that typically grows to a height of 2 to 6 metres (7 to 20 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has persistent, thin ribbony bark on the trunk, sometimes on the lower branches and smooth brownish bark above. Young plants and coppice regrowth have lance-shaped to curved leaves that are 55–115 mm (2.2–4.5 in) long and 5–50 mm (0.20–1.97 in) wide and petiolate. Adult leaves are linear to narrow lance-shaped, usually the same glossy green on both sides, 50–125 mm (2.0–4.9 in) long and 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) wide on a petiole 5–18 mm (0.20–0.71 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils on a peduncle 4–15 mm (0.16–0.59 in) long, the individual buds on a pedicel 1–3 mm (0.039–0.118 in) long. Mature buds are oval to more or less cylindrical, 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide with a conical operculum. Flowering mainly occurs from October to March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped to conical capsule 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) wide with the valves at rim level or extended beyond it.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus effusa was first formally described in 1976 by the botanist Ian Brooker who published the description in the journal Nuytsia. The type specimen was collected by George Chippendale between Norseman and Balladonia in 1967.[5][6]

In 1991, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill described two subspecies that have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census and the descriptions were published in the journal Telopea:[7]

Eucalyptus effusa Brooker subsp. effusa,[8] commonly known as rough-barked gimlet, has a conical operculum;[7]
Eucalyptus effusa subsp. exsul,[9] commonly known as desert gimlet,[10] has a rounded operculum and slightly glaucous branchlets.[7]

E. effusa is one of the nine true gimlet species that have buds in groups of seven, and the only gimlet that is a mallee. The other true gimlets are E. campaspe, E. creta, E. diptera, E. jimberlanica, E. ravida, E. terebra, E. salubris and E. tortilis.[11][12]
Distribution and habitat

Rough-barked gimlet is found on stony rises and plains between the Fraser Range and Balladonia in the Coolgardie and Nullarbor biogeographic regions of Western Australia where it grows in shallow sandy or loamy soils over greenstone or laterite.[13]

Desert gimlet is only known from a small area near Youanmi.[14][7]
Conservation status

Both subspecies of Eucalyptus effusa are classified as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[13][14]
See also

List of Eucalyptus species

References

"Eucalyptus effusa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
"Eucalyptus effusa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
"Eucalyptus effusa". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Researcu. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus effusa". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra.
"Eucalyptus effusa". APNI. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
Brooker, M. Ian H. (1976). "Six new taxa of Eucalyptus from Western Australia". Nuytsia. 2 (2): 108–110. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
Johnson, Lawrence A.S.; Hill, Kenneth D. (1 March 1991). "Systematic studies in the eucalypts - 2. A revision of the gimlets and related species: Eucalyptus extracodical series Salubres and Annulatae (Myrtaceae)". Telopea. 4 (2): 215–217. doi:10.7751/telopea19914927.
"Eucalyptus effusa subsp. effusa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
"Eucalyptus effusa subsp. exsul". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
Dean Nicolle (April 2015). "Classification of the Eucalypts" (PDF). Retrieved 23 April 2017.
French, Malcolm E. (2012). Eucalypts of Western Australia's Wheatbelt : Eucalypts of Western Australia. Perth: Malcolm French. pp. 102–103. ISBN 9780646590660.
Chippendale, George M. (1988). Flora of Australia (Volume 19) Myrtaceae - Eucalyptus, Angophora. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service. p. 235. ISBN 0644058668.
"Eucalyptus effusa subsp. effusa". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
"Eucalyptus effusa subsp. exsul". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.