Eucalyptus globulus maidenii

Description

The bark sheds often, peeling in large strips. The broad juvenile leaves are borne in opposite pairs on square stems. They are about 6 to 15 cm long and covered with a blue-grey, waxy bloom, which is the origin of the common name "blue gum". The mature leaves are narrow, sickle-shaped and dark shining green. They are arranged alternately on rounded stems and range from 15-35 cm (5.9-13.8 in) in length. The buds are top-shaped, ribbed and warty and have a flattened operculum (cap on the flower bud) bearing a central knob. The cream-coloured flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils and produce copious nectar that yields a strongly flavoured honey. The fruits are woody and range from 1.5-2.5 cm (0.59-0.98 in) in diameter. Numerous small seeds are shed through valves (numbering between 3 and 6 per fruit) which open on the top of the fruit. It produces roots throughout the soil profile, rooting several feet deep in some soils.The plant was first described by the French botanist Jacques Labillardi-re in his publications Relation du Voyage - la Recherche de la P-rouse (1800) and Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen (1804).The author collected specimens at Recherche Bay during the d'Entrecasteaux expedition in 1792.