Eucalyptus dives
{{Short description|Species of eucalyptus}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Broad-leaved peppermint
|image = Eucalyptus dives habit.jpg
|image_caption = Eucalyptus dives in the ANBG
|status =
|status_system =
|genus = Eucalyptus
|species = dives
|authority = Schauer{{cite web |title=Eucalyptus dives |url=https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/71546 |website=Australian Plant Census |access-date=23 June 2019}}
}}
Eucalyptus dives, commonly known as the broad-leaved peppermint or blue peppermint,{{cite web |title=Eucalyptus dives |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/entities/eucalyptus_dives.htm |publisher=Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Researdch |access-date=4 June 2020}} is a species of tree that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, finely fibrous bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth bark above, lance-shaped or curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of eleven or more, white flowers and cup-shaped, hemispherical or conical fruit.File:Eucalyptus_dives_leaf1.JPGFile:Eucalyptus dives flowers.jpgFile:Eucalyptus dives fruit.jpg
Description
Eucalyptus dives is a tree that grows to a height of {{cvt|20|m}} and forms a lignotuber. The bark on the trunk and larger branches is rough, finely fibrous and greyish and smooth grey on the thinner branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have leaves arranged in opposite pairs, egg-shaped to heart-shaped or curved, {{cvt|60-140|mm}} long and {{cvt|20-70|mm}} wide and sessile. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, lance-shaped to curved, the same slightly glossy or dull green on both sides, {{cvt|70-150|mm}} long and {{cvt|14-42|mm}} wide on a petiole {{convert|5-33|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long. The flower buds are usually arranged in groups of eleven or more in leaf axils on an unbranched peduncle {{convert|3-13|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long, the individual buds on a pedicel {{convert|2-7|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} long. Mature buds are oval to club-shaped, {{cvt|3-6|mm}} long and {{cvt|2-4|mm}} wide with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering occurs from September to January and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, cup-shaped, hemispherical or conical capsule, {{cvt|3-7|mm}} long and {{cvt|4-8|mm}} wide and sessile or on a pedicel up to {{cvt|5|mm}} long with the valves near the level of the rim.{{cite web |last1=Brooker |first1=M. Ian |last2=Slee |first2=Andrew V. |title=Eucalyptus dives |url=https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au/flora/taxon/0fb2aaa8-3e57-4b0f-9046-2f32dfb2b906 |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria |access-date=23 June 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Hill |first1=Ken D. |title=Eucalyptus dives |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Eucalyptus~dives |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Sydney |access-date=23 June 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Chippendale |first1=George M. |title=Eucalyptus dives |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Eucalyptus%20dives |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra |access-date=23 June 2019}}
Taxonomy and naming
Eucalyptus dives was first formally described in 1843 by Johannes Conrad Schauer and the description was published in Walpers' book Repertorium Botanices Systematicae (Volume 2).{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus dives|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/454966|publisher=APNI|access-date=23 June 2019}}{{cite book |last1=Schauer |first1=Johannes |editor=Wilhelm Walpers |title=Repertorium Botanices Systematicae |date=1843 |publisher=Sumtibus Frederici Hofmeister |location=New York |page=926 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/32093#page/942/mode/1up |access-date=23 June 2019}} The specific epithet (dives) is a Latin word meaning "rich"{{cite book|last1=Brown|first1=Roland Wilbur|title=The Composition of Scientific Words|date=1956|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington, D.C.|page=274}} referring to the rich oil content of the leaves.
Distribution and habitat
Broad-leaved peppermint usually grows in poor, dryish soils in open forest and woodland, usually in poor, shallow, stony soils in higher places. It is found in New South Wales south from Niangala in New South Wales and in south-eastern Victoria.
Uses
=Essential oils=
This eucalypt is a source of Eucalyptus oil and yields up to 12.75% by weight of partly dried leaves. Some forms of E. dives contain mostly the essential oils phellandrene and piperitone, some also contain eucalyptol and the remainder eucalyptol, terpineol, geraniol and citral.{{cite journal |last1=Southwell |first1=Ian |title=Eucalyptus leaf oils: Use, chemistry, distillation and marketing |journal=Phytochemistry |date=June 1992 |volume=31 |issue=6 |pages=2193 |doi=10.1016/0031-9422(92)80403-2}}
In the early post-war years there was a shortage of menthol and several manufacturers were able to produce this oil from piperitone but gradually this method was displaced by production of the oil from Mentha arvensis. The form rich in cineole is still harvested in New South Wales while the seeds imported into Africa are mostly from the piperitone/phellandrene form.{{cite book |last1=Coppen |first1=John J.W. |title=Eucalyptus : The Genus Eucalyptus |date=25 April 2002 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |location=London; New York |isbn=9780415278799 |pages=186–221}}
References
{{Reflist}}
- Boland, et al., Eucalyptus Leaf Oils - Use, Chemistry, Distillation and Marketing, {{ISBN|0-909605-69-6}}.
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Category:Flora of the Australian Capital Territory
Category:Flora of New South Wales
Category:Flora of Victoria (state)
Category:Myrtales of Australia