Eucalyptus coronata

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Crowned mallee
Eucalyptus coronata in the Fitzgerald River National Park

Declared rare (DEC)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. coronata
Binomial name
Eucalyptus coronata
C.A.Gardner[3]
Synonyms[3]

Eucalyptus mitrata C.A.Gardner

Eucalyptus coronata, commonly known as the crowned mallee,[2] is a species of mallee that is endemic to a small part of the south coast of Western Australia. It has smooth bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds with pronounced ribs, arranged in groups of three in leaf axils, white to cream-coloured or yellow flowers and conical, prominently ribbed fruit.

flower buds

Description

Eucalyptus coronata is a multi-stemmed mallee that typically grows to a height of 0.6–5 m (2 ft 0 in – 16 ft 5 in) and forms a

capsule 17–25 mm (0.67–0.98 in) long and 32–53 mm (1.3–2.1 in) wide with prominent ridges and protruding valves that make them look like crowns.[2][4][5][6]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus coronata was first formally described in 1933 by

Barren Range in 1914 and Henry Steedman had collected in 1931 from the same area.[7] In 1936 Eucalyptus mitrata was also described by Gardner in the same journal but it is considered to be a synonym of E. coronata.[3] The specific epithet (coronata) is from the Latin coronatus meaning "crowned" and refers to the ribbed operculum.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Crowned mallee grows in heath on coastal hills between Middle Mount Barren and East Mount Barren in the Fitzgerald River National Park. It grows in skeletal sandy soils and is found on rocky quartzite hillsides.[2]

Conservation status

This species is classified as "vulnerable" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as "Threatened Flora (Declared Rare Flora — Extant)" by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)[2] It is known from three populations, all of which are located in Fitzgerald River National Park. The total number of plants is estimated to be 140 scattered over an area of 47 square kilometres (18 sq mi). In the 1980s the total number of plants was estimated at 40 however the total number of plants recorded has fluctuated as a result of bushfires in 1989, 1990 and 2006. The main threats to the species are road maintenance activities and wildfire.[6]

Use in horticulture

This eucalypt is available for cultivation in home gardens used as a small landscaping species, ornamental, hedging and for honey production. It is both frost and drought tolerant and will grow in a range of soil types and will cope in nutrient poor and acid soils.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Approved Conservation Advice for Eucalyptus coronata (Crowned Mallee)" (PDF). Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, Water and the Environment. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Eucalyptus coronata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. ^ a b c "Eucalyptus coronata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Eucalyptus coronata". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  5. ^ Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus coronata". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Approved Conservation Advice for Eucalyptus coronata (Crowned Mallee)" (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. 16 December 2008. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Eucalyptus coronata". APNI. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  8. ^ "Eucalyptus coronata Crowned Mallee". Nindethana Seed Company. 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  9. ^ "Eucalyptus coronata Crowned mallee". Windmill Outback Nursery. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
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