Varnished gum

Description

Eucalyptus vernicosa, commonly known as varnished gum, is a species of shrub or a mallee that is endemic to mountainous areas of Tasmania. It has smooth greyish bark, crowded, egg-shaped to elliptical or round leaves, flower buds singly or in groups of three in leaf axils, white flowers and hemispherical or bell-shaped fruit. Eucalyptus vernicosa is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 1 m (3 ft 3 in) or a mallee to 4 m (13 ft) and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth grey or greyish brown bark. Young plants and coppice regrowth have crowded, sessile, glossy green, egg-shaped leaves that are 7–20 mm (0.28–0.79 in) long and 3–15 mm (0.12–0.59 in) wide and arranged in opposite pairs. Adult leaves are crowded, glossy green, egg-shaped to elliptical or round, 10–32 mm (0.39–1.26 in) long and 8–15 mm (0.31–0.59 in) wide with a rounded base, on a petiole 1–8 mm (0.039–0.315 in) long, arranged in opposite pairs or alternately. The flower buds are arranged in groups of three in leaf axils on an unbranched peduncle up to 2 mm (0.079 in) long, the individual buds sessile or almost so. Sometimes two of the buds in a group are lost so the buds appear singly. Mature buds are oval, 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide, greenish brown and finely wrinkled with a conical operculum that is shorter than the floral cup. Flowering occurs in most months, peaking from December to February and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody hemispherical or bell-shaped capsule 5–8 mm (0.20–0.31 in) long and 5–9 mm (0.20–0.35 in) wide with the valves near rim level. Eucalyptus vernicosa is endemic to Tasmania, and is only found in alpine regions in the west to southwest, including Cradle Mountain. It grows between 700m and 1350m above sea level, usually on peaty acid soils on top of quartzite or sandstone bedrock. It is usually found above the tree line, and can be a dominant component of alpine heath communities, along with Richea, Athrotaxis, and Orites. This habitat typically has high average rainfall varying from 1000mm to 2500mm per year, and very cold winters with continuous frosts and snow for several months. The harsh climate and nutritiously poor soils probably explain the small size and tough leaves.