Eucalyptus sessilis

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Finke River mallee
Eucalyptus sessilis habit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. sessilis
Binomial name
Eucalyptus sessilis
Synonyms

Eucalyptus pachyphylla var. sessilis

flower buds and flowers
fruit
fruit and foliage

Eucalyptus sessilis, commonly known as Finke River mallee, red bud mallee[2] or river mallee,[3] is a species of mallee that is native to the Northern Territory and central areas along the border of Western Australia. It has smooth bark, sometimes with ribbon of old bark near the base, lance-shaped to egg-shaped or elliptical adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, creamy yellow flowers and hemispherical fruit.

Description

Eucalyptus sessilis is a mallee with a spreading, straggly habit, that typically grows to a height of 2–5 m (6 ft 7 in – 16 ft 5 in), and forms a

capsule 6–13 mm (0.24–0.51 in) long and 14–23 mm (0.55–0.91 in) wide with a raised disc and four protruding valves. The seeds are grey-brown to blackish, 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long and a flattened pyramid to cubic shape.[2][4][5][6][7]

Taxonomy

Finke River mallee was first formally described in 1920 by the botanist Joseph Maiden as Eucalyptus pachyphylla var. sessilis in his book A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus. The type specimen was collected by Ernest Giles in 1872 at Glen of Palms in the western Macdonnell Range, to the south of Hermannsburg[8][9] In 1934, William Blakely raised the subspecies to species status as E. sessilis in his book A Key to the Eucalypts.[10] A common name for this tree is the Finke River (or River) mallee.[4][3] The specific epithet (sessilis) refers to the sessile buds and fruit.[2]

Distribution and habitat

Eucalyptus sessilis grows in open shrubland on stony slopes. It is found in the central Northern Territory in an area centred around

Rawlinson Ranges and Walter James Range in Western Australia. It is also scattered through the Finke River basin, Great Sandy Desert and Burt Plains.[2][5][4]

Conservation status

This mallee is classified as "least concern" under the Northern Territory Government Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1976 and as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.[4]

Use in horticulture

It is both drought and frost resistant, attracts birds and grows well in full sun or part shade.[11][6]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Eucalyptus sessilis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Eucalyptus sessilis". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b John Turner; Ian Brooker (1978). Finke River mallee: Eucalyptus sessilis (Maiden) Blakely. CSIRO.
  4. ^
    Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
    .
  5. ^ a b "Eucalyptus sessilis (Maiden) Blakely". NT Flora. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  6. ^
    Alice Springs Town Council
    . Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  7. ^ Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus sessilis". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Eucalyptus pachyphylla var. sessilis". APNI. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  9. ^ Maiden, Joseph (1920). A Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus. Sydney: New South Wales Government Printer. pp. 14–16. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  10. ^ "Eucalyptus sessilis". APNI. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Eucalyptus sessilis". Australian Seed. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
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