Scribbly gum

Appearance

"Eucalyptus haemastoma" is a tree that typically grows to a height of 12–15 m and forms a lignotuber. It has smooth white, silvery grey or yellow bark with insect scribbles. Young plants and coppice regrowth have elliptical to oblong or egg-shaped leaves that are 70–150 mm long and 20–60 mm wide. Adult leaves are lance-shaped or curved, the same shade of green on both sides, 90–210 mm long and 15–35 mm wide on a petiole 12–20 mm long. The flower buds are arranged in leaf axils in groups of between nine and fifteen on an unbranched peduncle 5–25 mm long, the individual buds on pedicels 3–7 mm long. Mature buds are oval, 4–6 mm long and 3–4 mm wide with a conical to rounded operculum. Flowering occurs between July and November and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, conical or hemispherical capsule 5–9 mm long and 7–11 mm wide with the valves near rim level.

This species intergrades with "E. racemosa", also a scribbly gum, mainly in the south of the Sydney area. A third scribbly gum, "E. rossii" is found further inland, on the slopes and tablelands between Tenterfield and Bombala.

Naming

"Eucalyptus haemastoma" was first formally described in 1797 by James Edward Smith in "Transactions of the Linnean Society of London". Smith noted "[f]ruit globose, cut off at the summit, its orifice surrounded by a broad deep-red border". The specific epithet is derived from the Greek "haima", 'blood' and "stoma", 'mouth', referring to the reddish disc of the fruit.

Distribution

This scribbly gum grows in woodland on shallow sandy soil derived from sandstone. It occurs in the Sydney region between Lake Macquarie and the Royal National Park.

Habitat

This scribbly gum grows in woodland on shallow sandy soil derived from sandstone. It occurs in the Sydney region between Lake Macquarie and the Royal National Park.