eucalypt

For an example of changing historical perspectives, in 1991, largely genetic evidence indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to other eucalypts; they were accordingly split off into the new genus Corymbia.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

Although separate, all of these genera and their species are allied and it remains the standard to refer to the members of all seven genera Angophora, Corymbia, Eucalyptus, Stockwellia, Allosyncarpia, Eucalyptopsis and Arillastrum as "eucalypts" or as the eucalypt group.

The extant genera Stockwellia, Allosyncarpia, Eucalyptopsis and Arillastrum comprise six known species, restricted to monsoon forests and rainforests in north-eastern Australia, the Arnhem Land plateau, New Guinea, the Moluccas and New Caledonia. These genera are recognised as having evolved from ancient lineages of the family Myrtaceae. According to genetic, fossil and morphological evidence, it is hypothesised that they evolved into separate taxa before the evolution of the more widespread and well-known genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora, and all of their many species.

Eucalyptus deglupta has naturally spread the furthest from the Australian geographic origin of the genus Eucalyptus, being the only species known growing naturally in the nearby northern hemisphere, from New Guinea to New Britain, Sulawesi, Seram Island to Mindanao, Philippines. Eucalyptus urophylla also grows naturally as far west as the Flores and Timor islands.

File:CSIRO ScienceImage 10646 Eucalypt regrowth after Black Saturday bushfires.jpg from eucalypt bark, four months after Black Saturday bushfires, Strathewen, Victoria]]

Eucalypts from fire-prone habitats are attuned to withstand fire in several ways:{{cn|date=October 2023}}

• Their seeds are often held in an insulated capsule, which opens only after a bushfire. Once cooled down, the land becomes a freshly fertilised seed bed.
• Oils in the leaves tend to make the fire more severe and therefore more damaging to less attuned species, giving an evolutionary advantage to the eucalypts.

Epicormic buds under the often thick bark of the trunk and branches are ready to sprout new stems and leaves after a fire.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

These advantages work well in areas affected by long dry spells.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

Over 700 eucalypt species dominate landscapes all over Australia, but diversity is reduced in rainforests and arid environments.

A fungal plant pathogen (from the family Sporocadaceae), Allelochaeta brevilata {{Au|(H.J. Swart & D.A. Griffiths) Crous}} is found on species of eucalypts in Australia.{{cite journal |last1=Crous |first1=P. W. |last2=Wingfield |first2=M. J. |last3=Cheewangkoon |first3=R. |last4=Carnegie |first4=A. J. |last5=Burgess |first5=T. I. |last6=Summerell |first6=B. A. |last7=Edwards |first7=J. |last8=Taylor |first8=P. W. J. |last9=Groenewald |first9=J. Z. |title=Foliar pathogens of eucalypts |journal=Stud Mycol |date=August 2019 |volume=8 |issue=94 |pages=125–298 |doi=10.1016/j.simyco.2019.08.001|pmid=31636729 |pmc=6797021 }}

• Orthorhinus cylindrirostris

{{reflist|42em|refs=

{{Cite journal

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| last2 = Udovicic | first2 = Frank

| last3 = Nelson | first3 = Gareth

| year = 2003

| title = Australian biogeographical connections and the phylogeny of large genera in the plant family Myrtaceae

| journal = Journal of Biogeography

| volume = 30 | issue = 7 | pages = 989–998

| doi = 10.1046/j.1365-2699.2003.00881.x

| bibcode = 2003JBiog..30..989L

| s2cid = 85895271

| issn = 1365-2699

}}

Lyne, A. 1996 "An Introduction to the Eucalypts The Genera Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora" Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research and Australian National Herbarium. Canberra

{{Cite journal |last1= Carr |first1= Denis J. |last2= Carr |first2= S.G.M. |last3= Hyland |first3= Bernie P.M. | author-link3= Bernard Hyland | last4= Wilson |first4= Paul G. |last5= Ladiges |first5= Pauline Y. |year= 2002 |title= Stockwellia quadrifida (Myrtaceae), a new Australian genus and species in the eucalypt group |journal= Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |volume= 139 |issue= 4 |pages= 415–421 |doi= 10.1046/j.1095-8339.2002.00062.x |doi-access= free }}

Costermans, L. 2006 "Trees of Victoria and adjoining areas".6th ed. {{ISBN|0-9599105-4-9}}

}}

• [http://anpsa.org.au/eucalypt.html Plant Guide: Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125224053/http://anpsa.org.au/eucalypt.html |date=2014-01-25 }} at Australian Native Plants Society
• [http://www.dn.com.au Eucalypt Research] at Currency Creek Arboretum

{{Commons category|Eucalyptus}}

Eucalypt

Category:Myrtaceae

Category:Plant common names