So, did you manage to survive the last Plant of the Month? Slightly more manageable this time, still working on the full barks but the adult leaves are discolorous, that is, they’re different colours, or at least distinctly different shades, on each side.
Eucalyptus robusta, (Swamp Mahogany) leaf, showing distinctly different colours top and bottom.
And you may have noticed some Eucalypts appear twice the key, that’s because there’s variation in a number of features within a species meaning it does fall into a couple of categories.
Full bark
- medium to long fibres to smaller branches,
- adult leaves discolorous,
- fruit and buds sessile
Eucalyptus notabilis Mountain Mahogany
Tree to 30m, juvenile leaves ovate to broad lanceolate, dark glossy green, adult leaves lanceolate, 10-15cm long, 1.7-2.5cm wide, venation dense, secondary venation becoming parallel, dark glossy green 7-11 flowers, fruits conical to hemispherical, more or less ribbed, 6-8mm long, 6-10mm wide, disc flat, on sandy soils, Putty area, uncommon.
Eucalyptus cameronii Diehard Stringybark
Tree to 40m, juvenile leaves hispid, broad lanceolate, glossy green, adult leaves lanceolate to broad lanceolate, 6-9cm long, 1.2-2cm wide, green glossy, slightly discolorous or concolorous, venation sparse. Fruit hemispherical or flattened globose, disc slightly depressed, valves enclosed 4-5mm long, 5-7mm dia, uncommon, north from Scone and Barrington Tops.
Full bark
- medium to long fibres to smaller branches,
- adult leaves discolorous,
- fruit and buds pedicellate
Eucalyptus scias Large-fruited Red Mahogany (not hispid)
Tree or mallee to 20m, juvenile leaves broad lanceolate to ovate, glossy dark green, adult leaves lanceolate to broad lanceolate, 7-16mm x 1.3-3.2cm, dark green, glossy, discolorous, flowers 3-7, fruit hemispherical or conical, lightly ribbed, 8-16mm long, 9-20mm dia, disc flat or slightly raised, valves exserted. Medium fertility soils south from Broke and Kurri Kurri.
Eucalyptus cameronii Diehard Stringybark
Tree to 40m, juvenile leaves hispid, broad lanceolate, glossy green, adult leaves lanceolate to broad lanceolate, 6-9cm long, 1.2-2cm wide, green glossy, slightly discolorous or concolorous, venation sparse. Fruit hemispherical or flattened globose, disc slightly depressed, valves enclosed 4-5mm long, 5-7mm dia, uncommon, north from Scone and Barrington Tops.
Eucalyptus acmenoides White Mahogany
Tree usually to 30m (sometimes higher), bark persistent, grey to red brown, thin, stringy, juvenile leaves broad lanceolate, glossy green, adult leaves lanceolate to broad lanceolate, strongly discolorous, 7-11 flowered (sometimes more), fruit hemispherical, disc depressed or flat, valves enclosed or rim level, 4-8mm long, 4-7mm dia. Lower Hunter to East of Singleton.
Eucalyptus resinifera Red Mahogany
Tree to 45m, juvenile leaves ovate to broad lanceolate, glossy dark green, adult leaves lanceolate, 9-16cm long, 2-4cm wide, dark green, glossy, 7-11 flowered, peduncle narrowly flattened, 8-42mm long, fruit hemispherical to ovoid, 5-11mm long, 5-10mm dia, disc flat to raised, valves prominently exserted. Coastal hinterland.
Eucalyptus robusta Swamp Mahogany
Tree to 25m, bark thick, spongy, red brown, juvenile leaves ovate, glossy green, adult leaves 10-17cm long, 2-4.5cm wide, dark green glossy, secondary venation parallel umbellasters 7-11 (or more) flowered, fruit cylindrical, 10-18mm long, 6-11mm dia, disc depressed, valves rim level or slightly exserted, swampy sites on sandy soils, coastal areas.
Eucalyptus robusta trunk
Eucalyptus robusta fruit
Eucalyptus robusta leaves
Eucalyptus robusta buds
Eucalyptus eugenioides Thin-leaved Stringybark
Tree to 30m, bark persistent, grey to red brown, stringy. Adult leaves slightly discolorous to concolorous, thin and usually very flexible when fresh; fruits either globular with a narrow aperture or hemispherical with a wide aperture (can occur in different clusters on the same branchlet); Dry sclerophyll forest and woodlands, heavy deep soils of moderate fertility, East of line between Murrurundi and Muswellbrook.
Eucalyptus eugenioides leaves
Eucalyptus eugenioides flowers and buds
Eucalyptus eugenioides fruit
Eucalyptus microcorys Tallowwood
Tree to 40m (sometimes 60), bark red brown or brown black, juvenile leaves elliptic to ovate, glossy green, adult leaves 8-12cm x 1.5-2.5cm, green, glossy, umbellaster 7-11 flowered, fruit conical or pyriform, 5-9mm long, 4-6mm dia, disc depressed, valves more or less rim level. Wet forest, moderate to high fertility soils, Lower Hunter, north from Cooranbong.