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Mealy stringybark
	Eucalyptus cephalocarpa growing in Frankston
Conservation status
	; Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Genus:	Eucalyptus
Species:	E. cephalocarpa
Binomial name
	Eucalyptus cephalocarpa; Blakely
Synonyms
	Eucalyptus cinerea subsp. cephalocarpa Costerm. nom. inval.; Eucalyptus cinerea var. multiflora Maiden;

Eucalyptus cephalocarpa, commonly known as mealy stringybark or silver stringybark^[3] is a species of small to medium-sized tree, that is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has rough, fibrous bark on the trunk and branches, lance-shaped adult leaves, Flower buds arranged in groups of seven, white flowers and conical, bell-shaped or hemispherical fruit.

Description

Eucalyptus cephalocarpa grows to a height of 15–24 m (49–79 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has thick, soft, fibrous grey-brown, fissured bark on the trunk and branches, sometimes smooth on the thinnest branches. The leaves on young plants and on coppice regrowth are arranged in opposite pairs, usually bluish green and glaucous, egg-shaped to almost round, 25–85 mm (0.98–3.35 in) long, 17–65 mm (0.67–2.56 in) wide and sessile. Adult leaves are lance-shaped to curved, 85–250 mm (3.3–9.8 in) long and 8–30 mm (0.31–1.18 in) wide on a petiole 6–22 mm (0.24–0.87 in) long. They are the same green to bluish colour on both sides. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven on an unbranched peduncle 4–18 mm (0.16–0.71 in) long, individual buds on a pedicel up to 3 mm (0.12 in) long. Mature buds are club-shaped, diamond-shaped or oval, 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long and 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) wide with a conical to rounded operculum and often glaucous. Flowering occurs between February and June and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody conical, bell-shaped or hemispherical capsule 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) wide with the valves at rim level or slightly above.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]

Taxonomy and naming

Eucalyptus cephalocarpa was first formally described in 1934 by William Blakely who published the description in his book A Key to the Eucalypts.^[8] The specific epithet (cephalocarpa) is derived from the Ancient Greek words kephale meaning "head"^[9]^: 194 and karpos meaning "fruit"^[9]^: 356 referring to the crowded fruit of this species.^[3]

Distribution and habitat

Mealy stringybark occurs mainly in Victoria but is also in found in the Nadgee Nature Reserve in the far south-east of New South Wales. It is common around Melbourne, from the eastern suburbs to the Dandenongs and south to the Mornington Peninsula. Its range extends to near Castlemaine, Kinglake and Mallacoota.^[4]^[5]^[7]

References

^ Fensham, R.; Collingwood, T.; Laffineur, B. (2019). "Eucalyptus cephalocarpa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T133378476A133378478. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T133378476A133378478.en. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Eucalyptus cephalocarpa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Eucalyptus cephalocarpa". Euclid: Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b Costermans, L. (1981). Native Trees and Shrubs of South-eastern Australia. Australia: Rigby. p. 363. ISBN 072701403X.
^ ^a ^b "Eucalyptus cephalocarpa". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 2009-06-26.
^ Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus cephalocarpa". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^ ^a ^b Stajsic, Val. "Eucalyptus caphalocarpa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^ "Eucalyptus cephalocarpa". APNI. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^ ^a ^b Brown, Roland Wilbur (1956). The Composition of Scientific Words. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press.