Eucalyptus decipiens

Eucalyptus decipiens, commonly known as redheart[2] or redheart moit[3] is a species of mallee or small tree that is endemic to Western Australia. It has varying amounts of rough, imperfectly shed ribbons of brownish bark and smooth whitish to grey bark, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between eleven and twenty one, and conical to flattened hemispherical fruit.

flower buds
fruit

Redheart
Eucalyptus decipiens growing near Seabird, Western Australia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Eucalyptus
Species:
E. decipiens
Binomial name
Eucalyptus decipiens
Synonyms[1]
  • Eucalyptus concolor Schauer
  • Eucalyptus decipiens Endl. subsp. decipiens
  • Eucalyptus decipiens var. latifolia Schauer nom. inval.

Description

Eucalyptus decipiens is a mallee or small tree that typically grows to 1.5–15 m (4 ft 11 in–49 ft 3 in) high and 3–6 m (9.8–19.7 ft) wide and forms a lignotuber. It has varying amounts of rough, flaky, greyish brown ribbony bark and smooth grey to pinkish bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have broadly elliptic to almost round, dull bluish green leaves 20–65 mm (0.79–2.56 in) long and 20–50 mm (0.79–1.97 in) wide. Adult leaves are arranged alternately, thick, dull, grey-green and lance-shaped with a hook-like tip. They are 55–125 mm (2.2–4.9 in) long and 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) wide on a flattened petiole 4–22 mm (0.16–0.87 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of between eleven and twenty one on a peduncle 3–12 mm (0.12–0.47 in) long, the individual buds sessile or on a pedicel up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long. Mature buds are oval to spindle-shaped, 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) long and 3.5–5 mm (0.14–0.20 in) wide with a conical to beaked operculum. Flowering occurs between August and January and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody conical to flattened hemispherical capsule 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long and 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) wide.[2][4][5]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus decipiens was first formally described in 1837 by the botanist Stephan Endlicher from a specimen collected near King Georges Sound by Charles von Hügel. The description was published in the book Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel.[6][7] The specific epithet (decipiens) is derived from the Latin word decipio meaning "to beguile" or "to cheat"[8]:807 but the reason Endlicher gave this name is not clear, but may refer to its similarity to another species.[4]

Subspecies, including E. decipiens subsp. chalara Brooker & Hopper have been described but the names have not been accepted by the Australian Plant Census.[9]

Distribution and habitat

Redheart is found on sandplains, hills and along the edges of swamps in the Wheatbelt, South West and Great Southern regions of Western Australia growing in clay, loam or sandy soils over laterite.[5]

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See also

References
  1. "Eucalyptus dealbata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  2. Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus decipiens". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  3. "Eucalyptus decipiens - redheart moit". Botanic Gardens of South Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  4. "Eucalyptus decipiens subsp. adesmophloia". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  5. "Eucalyptus decipiens". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Parks and Wildlife.
  6. "Eucalyptus decipiens". APNI. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  7. Endlicher, Stephan (ed.) (1837). Enumeratio plantarum quas in Novae Hollandiae ora austro-occidentali ad fluvium Cygnorum et in sinu Regis Georgii collegit Carolus Liber Baro de Hügel. New York: Apud F. Beck. p. 49. Retrieved 23 May 2019.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  8. Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 476.
  9. "Eucalyptus dealbata subsp. chalara". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
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