Eucalyptus fibrosa

{{speciesbox

|name = Red ironbark

|image = Eucalyptus fibrosa tree. Canoona, Queensland.jpg

|image_caption = Eucalyptus fibrosa habit near Canoona, Queensland

|status =

|status_system =

|genus = Eucalyptus

|species = fibrosa

|authority = F.Muell.{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus fibrosa|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/165695|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=5 July 2019}}

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Eucalyptus fibrosa, commonly known as the red ironbark, broad-leaved red ironbark or broad-leaved red ironbark,{{cite web |title=Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp. fibrosa |url=https://apps.lucidcentral.org/euclid/text/entities/eucalyptus_fibrosa_subsp._fibrosa.htm |publisher=Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research |access-date=2 June 2020}} is a species of medium-sized to tall tree endemic to eastern Australia. It has grey to black ironbark, lance-shaped to egg-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and conical fruit.File:Eucalyptus fibrosa buds.jpg

File:Eucalyptus fibrosa fruit.jpg

Description

Eucalyptus fibrosa is a tree that typically grows to a height of {{cvt|35|m}} and forms a lignotuber. It has rough, grey to black, sometimes flaky ironbark from the base of the trunk to the thinner branches. Young plants and coppice regrowth have petiolate, egg-shaped to more or less triangular or round leaves that are {{cvt|80–200|mm}} long, {{cvt|45–140|mm}} wide and a slightly lighter shade of green on one side. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to egg-shaped, the same shade of green on both sides, {{cvt|85–180|mm}} long and {{cvt|15–45|mm}} wide on a petiole {{cvt|13–30|mm}} long. The flower buds are arranged on the ends of branchlets in groups of seven, nine or eleven on a branching peduncle {{cvt|9–20|mm}} long, the individual buds on pedicels {{cvt|2–8|mm}} long. Mature buds are spindle-shaped, {{cvt|8–17|mm}} long and {{cvt|3–5|mm}} wide with a conical to horn-shaped operculum. Flowering has been recorded in most months and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, conical capsule {{cvt|5–10|mm}} long and wide

with the valves close to rim level.{{cite web |last1=Chippendale |first1=George M. |title=Eucalyptus fibrosa |url=https://profiles.ala.org.au/opus/foa/profile/Eucalyptus%20fibrosa |publisher=Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra |access-date=6 July 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Hill |first1=Ken |title=Eucalyptus fibrosa |url=http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Eucalyptus~fibrosa |publisher=Royal Botanic Garden Sydney |access-date=6 July 2019}}

Some other ironbarks occurring in the same area including E. siderophloia, E. rhombica and E. decorticans are similar but all have smaller buds and fruit, and a much shorter operculum than that of E. fibrosa.

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus fibrosa was first formally described in 1859 by Victorian state botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in 1859 from a collection from the Brisbane River and the description was published in Journal and Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Botany.{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus fibrosa|url= https://id.biodiversity.org.au/instance/apni/455241|publisher=APNI|access-date=6 July 2019}}{{cite journal |last1=von Mueller |first1=Ferdinand |title=Monograph of the Eucalypti of tropical Australia |journal=Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Botany |date=1859 |volume=3 |page=87 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/8353#page/91/mode/1up |access-date=6 July 2019}} The specific epithet (fibrosa) apparently refers to the bark, although possibly an inappropriate name for an ironbark.

In 1962, Lawrie Johnson and Robert Anderson described two subspecies and the names have been accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Eucalyptus fibrosa F.Muell.subsp. fibrosa;{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp. fibrosa|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/82993|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=6 July 2019}}
Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp. nubilis, (Maiden & Blakely) L.A.S.Johnson{{cite web|title=Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp. nubilis|url= https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/apc-format/display/83012|publisher=Australian Plant Census|access-date=6 July 2019}} commonly known as the blue-leaved ironbark, differs from the autonym in having glaucous buds and fruit.{{cite web |title=Eucalyptus fibrosa subsp. nubila |url=http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org:8080/euclid/data/02050e02-0108-490e-8900-0e0601070d00/media/Html/Eucalyptus_fibrosa_subsp._nubila.htm |publisher=Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research |access-date=6 July 2019}} This subspecies had previously been known as Eucalyptus nubilis Maiden & Blakely.

Distribution and habitat

Red ironbark grows in forest on shallow, relatively infertile soil. It is widespread on the coast, tablelands and nearby inland areas from near Rockhampton in Queensland to Moruya in New South Wales.

Conservation

This species is listed as "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.{{cite web |title=Eucalyptus fibrosa |url=https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/ecology/components/species/?eucalyptus-fibrosa |publisher=The State of Queensland (Department of Environment and Science) |access-date=6 July 2019}}