| Peppermint box | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eucalyptus odorata nearGawler | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Eucalyptus |
| Species: | E. odorata |
| Binomial name | |
| Eucalyptus odorata | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Eucalyptus odorata, commonly known aspeppermint box,[2] is a species ofmallee or a small tree that isendemic to South Australia. It has rough, hard bark on the trunk and larger branches, smooth greyish bark on the thinner branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, flower buds in groups of between seven and eleven, white flowers and cylindrical or barrel-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus odorata is a mallee or small tree that typically grows to a height of 2–12 m (6 ft 7 in – 39 ft 4 in) and forms alignotuber. It has rough, hard, fissured bar on the trank and branches thicker than 50–100 mm (2.0–3.9 in), smooth, grey or brownish bark above. Young plants andcoppice regrowth have lance-shaped leaves that are 40–105 mm (1.6–4.1 in) long and 4–23 mm (0.16–0.91 in) wide. Adult leaves are the same shade of glossy green on both sides when mature, lance-shaped, 55–140 mm (2.2–5.5 in) long and 6–20 mm (0.24–0.79 in) wide, tapering to apetiole 5–15 mm (0.20–0.59 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leafaxils in groups of seven, nine or eleven on an unbranchedpeduncle, the individual budssessile or onpedicels up to 6 mm (0.24 in) long. Mature buds are spindle-shaped to oval, 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide with a conical to beakedoperculum. Flowering occurs between March and October and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody cylindrical or barrel-shapedcapsule 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long and 4–7 mm (0.16–0.28 in) wide with the valves near rim level.[2][3][4][5]
Eucalyptus odorata was first formally described in 1847 byHans Hermann Behr in the journalLinnaea.[6][7] Thespecific epithet (odorata) is from theLatinodoratus meaning "having a smell", referring to the scent of the leaves when crushed.[5]
Peppermint box is widely distributed in South Australia, between the southernFlinders Ranges andBordertown andLake Alexandrina, and on the lowerEyre Peninsula andKangaroo Island.[8] It also occurs in north-western Victoria and there are a few records from theCobar region of New South Wales.[8] It grows in a variety of habitats but most commonly on undulating country.[5]
Images from the Forest Flora of New South Wales (1913) byJ.H Maiden (Government botanist and director of the Botanical Gardens Sydney). Publication Details: Sydney: W. A. Gullick, 1902–1925. Copyright Status: Public domain.[9]
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