Eucalyptus distans

Katherine box

Priority One — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species: E. distans
Binomial name
Eucalyptus distans
Brooker , Boland & Kleinig
Synonyms

Eucalyptus epruinata

Eucalyptus distans, commonly known as the Katherine box, is a eucalypt that is native to northern parts of Australia.[1]

The tree typically grows to a height of 7 to 9 metres (23 to 30 ft), forms a lignotuber, and has fine grey bark with white patches that is longitudinally fissured[1] and persistent throughout.[2] The adult leaves are concolorous, dull and light green to grey-green. The leaf blade is usually lanceolate but sometimes falcate in shape with a length of 5.5 to 15 centimetres (2.2 to 5.9 in) and a width of 1.2 to 2.6 cm (0.47 to 1.02 in) with a base tapering to the petiole and a rounded to pointed apex.[3]

The tree blooms between March and April producing terminal inflorescences with creamy-white flowers and slender peduncles that are angular and 0.2 to 1.2 cm (0.08 to 0.47 in) long. Buds form later with seven umbel on 0.2 to 0.6 cm (0.08 to 0.24 in) long pedicels. Mature buds have a shortly cylindrical to ovoid shape and are 0.3 to 0.4 cm (0.12 to 0.16 in) long and about as wide. Pedicellate fruits form between January and September that are cupular to hemispherical or obconical in shape. They are 0.3 to 0.5 cm (0.12 to 0.20 in) in both length and width with a narrow disc narrow and four valves containing blackish brown seeds.[3]

It's range extends from an isolated population at the base of the range in the Fitzroy trough in the Dampierland of the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. It grows in loam soils around sandstone.[1] It has several scattered populations through the Northern Territory from Katherine to Gove and a disjunct population in east near Croydon in Queensland.[3]

The species was first described by the botanists Ian Brooker, D. Boland and D. Kleinig in 1980 when published on the journal Australalian Forestery Research from samples gathered near Katherine Gorge by C. Dunlop in 1977.[2] The Queensland population of the tree was described in 2000 as Eucalyptus epruinata by K.D.Hill and L.A.S.Johnson in the journal Telopea and later recorded as a synonym of E. distans.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus distans". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  2. 1 2 "Eucalyptus distans Brooker, D. Boland & D. Kleinig, Austral. For. Res. 10: 95 (1980)". Eucalink. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Eucalyptus distans Brooker, Boland & Kleinig". NT Flora. Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Eucalyptus distans Brooker, Boland & Kleinig". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
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