Rose mallee

Description

Eucalyptus rhodantha, commonly known as rose mallee, is a species of straggly mallee or shrub that is endemic to Western Australia. It has smooth bark, a crown composed entirely of heart-shaped, sessile juvenile leaves arranged in opposite pairs, single flower buds in leaf axils, red flowers and pendent, hemispherical to conical fruit. Eucalyptus rhodantha is a straggly mallee or a shrub, that typically grows up to a height of 1.5–4 m (4 ft 11 in – 13 ft 1 in) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth greyish a pinkish bark. The crown is composed entirely of juvenile leaves that are sessile, arranged in opposite paris with their bases surrounding the stem. The leaves are the same shade of dull silver-grey or glaucous on both sides, egg-shaped, 45–80 mm (1.8–3.1 in) long and 30–75 mm (1.2–3.0 in) wide. The flower buds are arranged singly in leaf axils on a down-turned, peduncle 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long and a pedicel 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) long. Mature buds are egg-shaped, glaucous, 28–53 mm (1.1–2.1 in) long and 23–37 mm (0.91–1.46 in) wide with a beaked operculum 20–32 mm (0.79–1.26 in) long. Flowering occurs from July or September to December or January and the flowers are red, sometimes creamy white. The fruit is a woody, down-turned, hemispherical to conical capsule 16–28 mm (0.63–1.10 in) long and 33–45 mm (1.3–1.8 in) wide with the valves protruding. Eucalyptus rhodantha is only known from a few remnant stands in the northern wheatbelt near Three Springs and Watheroo. Several reports have identified the range extending south to New Norcia and Bolgart. However, these appear to be hybrid progeny of E. macrocarpa and E. pyriformis. Aside from a plant recorded at Eneabba Creek in 1953, the species occurs only at Three Springs and Watheroo. Eneabba Creek and nearby areas were observed in August 1991 but no other populations were found. Since then, the region has been cleared of native vegetation for agriculture. Two moderately undisturbed populations of E. rhodantha occur on uncleared private land in the vicinity of Watheroo. The rest are found on vacant and grazed farmland and degraded road borders. Eucalyptus rhodantha is found in flat or slightly hilly country, on sandy or gravelly soils. Eucalyptus species found in the same area that E. rhodantha populations occur include York gum (E. loxophleba), malallie (E. eudesmioides), mealy gum (E. pleurocarpa) and blackbutt (E. todtiana).