Eucalyptus curtisii
{{Short description|Species of eucalyptus}}
{{speciesbox
|name = Plunkett mallee
|image = Eucalyptus curtisii.jpg
|image_caption = Eucalyptus curtisii in Maranoa Gardens
|status=
|status_system =
|genus = Eucalyptus
|species = curtisii
|authority = Blakely & C.T.White{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus curtisii|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/114776|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=19 May 2019}}
}}
Eucalyptus curtisii, commonly known as Plunkett mallee,{{cite web |last1=Chippendale |first1=George M. |title=Eucalyptus curtisii |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Eucalyptus%20curtisii |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra |access-date=19 May 2019}} is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to south-east Queensland in Australia. It has smooth grey to silvery bark, lance-shaped, narrow elliptic or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and wrinkled, cup-shaped fruit.
Description
Eucalyptus curtisii is a slender mallee or small tree that typically grows to a height of {{cvt|7-12|m}} and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth grey to silvery bark that is shed in short curly flakes. Young plants and coppice regrowth have linear to narrow lance-shaped leaves that are {{cvt|30-62|mm}} long and {{cvt|3-6|mm}} wide and a slightly darker shade of green on the upper surface. Adult leaves are lance-shaped, elliptic or curved, glossy green but much paler on the lower surface. They are {{cvt|60-140|mm}} long and {{cvt|10-30|mm}} wide on a petiole {{cvt|7-18|mm}} long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven on a branching inflorescence near the ends of the stems, each branch with groups of seven buds. The groups are on a peduncle {{cvt|7-17|mm}} long, the individual buds on a pedicel {{cvt|2-5|mm}} long. Mature buds are oval to pear-shaped, {{cvt|5-8|mm}} long and {{cvt|4-7|mm}} wide with a rounded operculum. Flowering occurs from September to December and the flowers are white to creamy white. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped, wrinkled capsule {{cvt|5-11|mm}} long and {{cvt|6-11|mm}} wide.{{cite web |title=Eucalyptus curtisii |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/entities/eucalyptus_curtisii.htm |publisher=Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research |access-date=4 June 2020}}{{cite web |title=Plunkett mallee – Eucalyptus curtisii |url=https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/components/species/?eucalyptus-curtisii |publisher=Queensland Government Department of Environment and Science |access-date=19 May 2019}}{{cite web |title=Eucalyptus curtisii |url=http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp5/euc-curt.html |publisher=Australian National Botanic Gardens |access-date=19 May 2019}}
Taxonomy and naming
Eucalyptus curtisii was first formally described in 1931 by William Blakely and Cyril White from a specimen collected on sandstone hills "near Plunkett, [now Plunkett Conservation Park], about {{cvt|33|mi}} south-west of Brisbane". The description was publish in Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland.{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus curtisii|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/456130|publisher=APNI|access-date=19 May 2019}}{{cite journal |last1=Blakely |first1=William F. |title=Two Interesting Queensland Eucalypts |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland |date=1931 |volume=42 |issue=9 |pages=82–84 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/189685#page/108/mode/1up |access-date=19 May 2019}} The specific epithet (curtisii) honours Densil Curtis, a farmer and naturalist, who collected the type specimens in 1923 and 1929.
Distribution and habitat
Cultural references
Eucalyptus curtisii was adopted by Ipswich City Council as its floral emblem in 1996.{{cite web |url=http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/environment/conservation/native_plants/floral_emblem.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208200954/http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/environment/conservation/native_plants/floral_emblem.php |archive-date=8 December 2006 |title=Floral Emblem |publisher=Ipswich City Council|access-date=18 March 2012 }}