Eucalyptus obtusiflora, commonly known as Dongara mallee,[2] is a species of mallee that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth greyish or brownish bark that is often imperfectly shed, lance-shaped to curved adult leaves, flower buds usually in groups of seven or nine, creamy white flowers and cup-shaped, conical or barrel-shaped fruit.
Description
Eucalyptus obtusiflora is a mallee, sometimes a small tree, that typically grows to a height of 4–5 m (13–16 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth, greyish or brownish bark that is often imperfectly shed on the lower half of the stems. Young plants and coppice regrowth have greyish green, egg-shaped, sometimes glaucous leaves that are 40–80 mm (1.6–3.1 in) long and 25–40 mm (0.98–1.57 in) wide. Adult leaves are the same shade of dull, sometimes bluish green on both sides, lance-shaped to curved, 70–130 mm (2.8–5.1 in) long and 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) wide, tapering to a petiole 12–25 mm (0.47–0.98 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils, usually in groups of seven or nine, on an unbranched peduncle 5–20 mm (0.20–0.79 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–10 mm (0.079–0.394 in) long. Mature buds are oval, cylindrical or spindle-shaped, 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) long and 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) wide with a rounded to flattened operculum. It blooms between January and May producing white or creamy white flowers. The fruit is a woody cup-shaped, conical or barrel-shaped capsule 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) long and 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) wide with the valves near rim level.[2][3]
The Dongara mallee is found in interdunal hollows between Jurien Bay and Moora in the south of its range to Gnaraloo in the north, and inland to Wubin, Wyalkatchem and Corrigin. It grows in sandy-loam soils.[2][3]
^Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 263. ISBN9780958034180.
^Chippendale, George M. "Eucalyptus obtusiflora". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Energy, Canberra. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
