Eucalyptus stenostoma

Jillaga ash
Jilliga ash, Deua National Park, Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species: E. stenostoma
Binomial name
Eucalyptus stenostoma
L.A.S.Johnson & Blaxell

Eucalyptus stenostoma, the Jillaga ash, is a rarely seen eucalyptus tree of eastern Australia. It grows in remote forests on the tablelands of south eastern New South Wales. Eucalyptus stenostoma is a small to mid-sized tree, usually 10 to 20 metres tall, often with a leaning trunk. The tallest are around 25 metres.[1] The original specimen was collected by D.J. Hynd. in July 1965. Located north west of Nerrigundah at the head of the Tuross River, elevation 865 metres, parish of Jilliga, county of Dampier. The specific epithet is from the Greek stenos, narrow, referring to the narrow stoma on the leaves.

Description

The bark is fibrous, grey-black, similar to the peppermint types of eucalyptus. Above the bark is white or creamish-yellow with insect larvae scribbles. The bark sheds in long ribbons.

Adult leaves are alternate on the stem. Lanceolate or curved. Leaf oblique at the base, the leaf stem is around 25 to 35 mm long. Leaves are relatively thick and glossy. The same colour green above as below the leaf. The leaves are veiny. Adult leaves 13 to 19 cm long, 1.5 to 3 cm wide. Juvenile leaves are stalk-less, round or broad lanceolate, opposite on the stem. Bluish-green above, paler below. 5 cm long and 2 cm wide.

White flowers form in summer. Individual flower stems are round in cross section, however the peduncle is angled and flattened. New gumnuts are glaucous. Gumnuts around 1 cm by 1 cm.

Whilst similar in appearance to the white ash the Jillaga ash tends to lean downhill, have reddish new growth,[2] and the gumnuts are globose in shape, with a small opening. Inside the gumnut, the chaff is somewhat cube shaped, and clearly a different in colour to the seed.[3]

Habitat

Jillaga Ash grows only in the catchment areas of the Tuross and Deua Rivers. On steeply sloping dry woodland on relatively infertile soils. Difficult to locate, however, it is locally abundant in some sites.

The soils of the type location are recorded as shallow and poor, based on shale and slate. Another site 1.3 kilometres north of Bendethera Mountain is described as being an exposed ridge, facing west on rhyolite based soils, 980 metres above sea level.

References

  1. ↑ A Field Guide to Eucalypts - Brooker & Kleinig volume 1, ISBN 0-909605-62-9. Page 94.
  2. ↑ pers. comm. Dr. Dean Nicolle Dec.2010
  3. ↑ "Eucalyptus stenostoma". EucaLink, A Web Guide to the Eucalypts.
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