| Alpine ash | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eucalyptus delegatensis growing betweenCorryong andOmeo | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Eucalyptus |
| Species: | E. delegatensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Eucalyptus delegatensis | |
Eucalyptus delegatensis, commonly known asalpine ash,gum-topped stringybark,white-top[3] and in Victoria aswoollybutt,[4] is a species of tree that isendemic to southeasternAustralia. It has a straight trunk with rough, fibrous to stringy bark on the lower half of the trunk, smooth white bark above, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and fifteen, white flowers and barrel-shaped or hemispherical fruit.
Eucalyptus delegatensis is a tree that typically grows to a height of 40–50 m (130–160 ft), sometimes to 90 m (300 ft), and forms alignotuber. The bark is rough, grey to black, fibrous or stringy on the lower half of the trunk, smooth white to greyish above. Young plants andcoppice regrowth have broadly lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves 70–200 mm (2.8–7.9 in) long and 27–82 mm (1.1–3.2 in) wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, the same glossy green to bluish green on both sides, 75–230 mm (3.0–9.1 in) long and 13–55 mm (0.51–2.17 in) wide on apetiole 10–45 mm (0.39–1.77 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of between seven and fifteen in leafaxils on an unbranchedpeduncle 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) long, the individual buds on apedicel 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long. Mature buds are oval to club-shaped, green to yellow or red, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and wide with a conical or roundedoperculum with a small point on the tip. Flowering occurs between December and March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody barrel-shaped to hemisphericalcapsule 6–11 mm (0.24–0.43 in) long and wide with the valves near rim level or enclosed in the fruit.[3][5][6][7]
Eucalyptus delegatensis was first formally described in 1900 byRichard Thomas Baker from a specimen collected byWilliam Baeuerlen, (previously known as Wilhelm Bäuerlen) on "Delegate Mountain". The description was published inProceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales.[8][9] Thespecific epithet (delegatensis) refers to thetype location.[3]
In 1985Douglas John Boland described two subspecies and the names have been accepted by theAustralian Plant Census:
Alpine ash is widespread and often dominant in grassy or wetsubalpine forest, in deep fertile soil, often on slopes, and commonly forms pure stands. InNew South Wales and theAustralian Capital Territory it is found south from theBrindabella Range and inVictoria it occurs at altitudes between 900 and 1,500 m (3,000 and 4,900 ft) east ofMount Macedon. Subspeciestasmaniensis is endemic to Tasmania.[6][7]
Authority control databases: National |
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