Eucalyptus cephalocarpa
{{Short description|Species of eucalyptus}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Mealy stringybark
|image = Eucalyptus cephalocarpa flowers.jpg
|image_caption = Eucalyptus cephalocarpa growing in Frankston
|status = VU
|status_system = IUCN3.1
|genus = Eucalyptus
|species = cephalocarpa
|authority = Blakely{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus cephalocarpa|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/112273|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=22 April 2019}}
|synonyms =
- Eucalyptus cinerea subsp. cephalocarpa Costerm. nom. inval.
- Eucalyptus cinerea var. multiflora Maiden
}}
Eucalyptus cephalocarpa, commonly known as mealy stringybark or silver stringybark{{cite web |title=Eucalyptus cephalocarpa |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/entities/eucalyptus_cephalocarpa.htm |publisher=Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research |access-date=4 June 2020}} is a species of small to medium-sized tree, that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, Flower buds arranged in groups of seven, white flowers and conical, bell-shaped or hemispherical fruit.File:Eucalyptus cephalocarpa buds.jpg
Description
Eucalyptus cephalocarpa grows to a height of {{cvt|15-24|m}} and forms a lignotuber. It has thick, soft, fibrous grey-brown, fissured bark on the trunk and branches, sometimes smooth on the thinnest branches. The leaves on young plants and on coppice regrowth are arranged in opposite pairs, usually bluish green and glaucous, egg-shaped to almost round, {{cvt|25-85|mm}} long, {{cvt|17-65|mm}} wide and sessile. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, {{cvt|85-250|mm}} long and {{cvt|8-30|mm}} wide on a petiole {{cvt|6-22|mm}} long. They are the same green to bluish colour on both sides. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven on an unbranched peduncle {{cvt|4-18|mm}} long, individual buds on a pedicel up to {{cvt|3|mm}} long. Mature buds are club-shaped, diamond-shaped or oval, {{cvt|3-6|mm}} long and {{cvt|3-4|mm}} wide with a conical to rounded operculum and often glaucous. Flowering occurs between February and June and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody conical, bell-shaped or hemispherical capsule {{cvt|3-6|mm}} long and {{cvt|4-8|mm}} wide with the valves at rim level or slightly above.{{cite book|author=Costermans, L.| title=Native Trees and Shrubs of South-eastern Australia | publisher=Rigby|location=Australia | year=1981 | page=363|isbn= 072701403X}}{{cite web |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Eucalyptus~cephalocarpa |title=Eucalyptus cephalocarpa |access-date=2009-06-26 |author=|work= PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia}}{{cite web |last1=Chippendale |first1=George M. |title=Eucalyptus cephalocarpa |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Eucalyptus%20cephalocarpa |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra |access-date=22 April 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Stajsic |first1=Val |title=Eucalyptus caphalocarpa |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/c1d81b41-92e1-47c7-9ca0-521fd3a513e5 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria |access-date=22 April 2019}}
Taxonomy and naming
Eucalyptus cephalocarpa was first formally described in 1934 by William Blakely who published the description in his book A Key to the Eucalypts.{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus cephalocarpa|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/455980|publisher=APNI|access-date=22 April 2019}} The specific epithet (cephalocarpa) is derived from the Ancient Greek words kephale meaning "head"{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Roland Wilbur|title=The Composition of Scientific Words|date=1956|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.}}{{rp|194}} and karpos meaning "fruit"{{rp|356}} referring to the crowded fruit of this species.
Distribution and habitat
Mealy stringybark occurs mainly in Victoria but is also in found in the Nadgee Nature Reserve in the far south-east of New South Wales. It is common around Melbourne, from the eastern suburbs to the Dandenongs and south to the Mornington Peninsula. Its range extends to near Castlemaine, Kinglake and Mallacoota.