Eucalyptus halophila, also known as salt lake mallee,[2] is a species of mallee or a shrub, that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth white and grey bark, sometimes rough and fibrous on the lower trunk, linear to narrow elliptic adult leaves, flower buds usually in grows of seven, white flowers and shortened spherical to barrel-shaped fruit.
flower budsfruit
Description
Eucalyptus halophila is a shrub or mallee that typically grows to a height of 1 to 4 metres (3 to 13 ft), sometime to 7 m (23 ft), or a shrub up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall, and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth white and pale grey bark, sometimes with fibrous bark on the lower half of its stems. Young plants and coppice regrowth have leaves that are linear, 40–85 mm (1.6–3.3 in) long and 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) wide. Adult leaves are linear to narrow elliptic, the same dull green colour on both sides, 50–80 mm (2.0–3.1 in) long and 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) wide on a petiole 3–9 mm (0.12–0.35 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of seven, sometimes three, on an unbranched peduncle 5–13 mm (0.20–0.51 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long. Mature buds are pear-shaped, 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering occurs from January to May and the flowers are creamy white. The fruit is a woody, shortened spherical or barrel-shaped fruit that is 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) wide with the valves enclosed below rim level.[3][4][5][6][7]
Taxonomy and naming
Eucalyptus halophila was first formally described in 1980 by Denis and Maisie Carr from a specimen Maisie collected with Alex George near a small salt pan near Dalyup. The description was published in the journal Nuytsia.[8] The specific epithet (halophila) is derived from ancient Greek word meaning "salt" with the ending -philus meaning "loving", referring to the habitat of this species.[9][10][11]
The plant is available commercially in seed form or as tubestock and is grown as an ornamental or low shelter plant. It is tolerant of frost, salt and drought and has a moderately fast growth rate.[2]
^Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus halophila". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
^Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 213. ISBN9780958034180.
^Stearn, William (1972). A Gardener's Dictionary of Plant Names. London: Cassell. ISBN0304937215.
