Eucalyptus deuaensis


Eucalyptus deuaensis, commonly known as the Mongamulla mallee, is a species of mallee or small tree endemic to a small area of New South Wales. It has smooth bark, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, diamond-shaped buds arranged in leaf s in groups of seven, white flowers and bell-shaped, hemispherical or conical fruit.

Description

Eucalyptus deuaensis is a rare mallee or small tree that typically grows to a height of with smooth, white or pink to yellow bark and forms a lignotuber. Young plants and coppice regrowth have sessile, egg-shaped to lance-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs, long and wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, the same colour on both sides, lance-shaped to curved, long and wide. The flower buds are arranged in leaf s in groups of seven on an unbranched peduncle up to long, the individual buds sessile. Mature buds are diamond-shaped, about long and wide with a conical or pyramid-shaped operculum. Flowering has been observed in January and November and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody bell-shaped, hemispherical or conical capsule long and wide with the valves protruding.

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus deuaensis was first formally described in 1987 by Douglas Boland and Phil Gilmour from a specimen collected "near Mongamulla Mountain, Deua National Park" by Gavin Moran. The description was published in the journal Brunonia The specific epithet refers to Deua National Park. The ending -ensis is a Latin "denoting place, locality, or country".

Distribution and habitat

Mongamulla mallee is only known from Mongamulla Mountain in Deua National Park where it grows on steep, rocky cliffs.