Eucalyptus wandoo

Eucalyptus wandoo
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species: E. wandoo
Binomial name
Eucalyptus wandoo
Blakely

Eucalyptus wandoo (wandoo, white gum) is a medium-sized tree widely distributed in southwest Western Australia.

Description

It grows as a small to medium-sized tree up to 25 metres in height. It has smooth bark, often in mottled patches of white, light grey, light brown light yellow and pink. Old layers of bark come of in flakes, and it is not uncommon for a few flakes to persist on the trunk for a long time. Young stems may be round or square in cross-section.[1]

Adult leaves are usually a greyish-green or greyish-blue, the same on both sides, lanceolate, 7.5 to 12.5 centimetres long, 1 to 2.8 centimetres wide, on a petiole one to two centimetres long. Flowers are white, and occur in clusters of 9 to 17.[1]

This is a lignotuberous species.

Taxonomy

This taxon was first published as Eucalyptus redunca var. elata by George Bentham in 1867. In 1934 William Faris Blakely promoted it to species rank, and, since there was already a species named Eucalyptus elata, renamed it Eucalyptus wandoo. The specific epithet "wandoo" comes from the Noongar name for the tree.[2]

It is placed in genus Eucalyptus, subgenus Symphyomyrtus, section Bisectae, subsection Glandulosae, series Levispermae, subseries Cubiformes.[1]

Two subspecies are recognised:

Distribution and habitat

Endemic to the Southwest Botanical Province of Western Australia, E. wandoo occurs from Geraldton to the south coast, and from the west coast inland as far as Narembeen. It grows in loamy and stony soils, in undulating terrain.[3][4]

Decline of the habitat and reduction of the crown decline has been studied[5][6][7][8]

Uses

The wood of this species is extremely dense, and is used for a range of heavy duty construction purposes, including as railway sleepers and wood flooring. There was once an industry in the extraction of tannin from the bark and wood. These days the wood is not much available, as the wandoo forests are preserved for recreation and watershed protection.[9] Wandoo is also famous for the honey produced from its nectar.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus wandoo subsp. wandoo". EUCLID. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  2. ↑ "Eucalyptus wandoo Blakely". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
  3. ↑ "Eucalyptus wandoo Blakely". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  4. ↑ Dalmaris, Eleftheria; University of Western Australia. School of Plant Biology (2012), Eucalyptus wandoo : tolerance to drought and salinity in relation to provenance and evolutionary history in southwestern Australia, retrieved 23 October 2016
  5. ↑ Wandoo Recovery Group (W.A.); Western Australia. Dept. of Environment and Conservation; Western Australia. Wandoo Recovery Group (2006), Wandoo crown decline : action plan, Dept. of Environment and Conservation, retrieved 23 October 2016
  6. ↑ Gaynor, Andrea; Western Australia. Dept. of Environment and Conservation; Wandoo Recovery Group (W.A.); Gaynor, Andrea (2008), Wandoo in health and decline : a history, Dept. of Environment and Conservation, retrieved 23 October 2016
  7. ↑ Mercer, Jack; Wandoo Recovery Group (W.A.); Western Australia. Dept. of Conservation and Land Management; World Wildlife Fund Australia; Mercer, Jack; Western Australia. Dept. of Environment and Conservation; World Wildlife Fund, Australia (2008), Second survey of Eucalyptus wandoo decline : final report, Dept. of Conservation and Land Management, retrieved 23 October 2016
  8. ↑ Hooper, Ryan (2009), The role of stress and factors contributing to the decline of Eucalyptus wandoo (Blakely) in southwestern Australia, retrieved 23 October 2016
  9. ↑ Boland, D. J.; et al. (1992). Forest trees of Australia (4th ed.). ISBN 0-643-05423-5.
  10. ↑ French, Malcolm. The special Eucalypts of Perth and the south-west. ISBN 0-646-29394-X.

Further reading

External links

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