Eucalyptus polyanthemos
Encyclopedia
Eucalyptus polyanthemos (Red Box) is a small to medium sized tree,
native to New South Wales
, the Australian Capital Territory
and Victoria
in Australia
. It is an introduced species
in California
where it is known as silver dollar gum, redbox or redbox gum.
The juvenile leaves
are round and grey-green and the adult leaves are ovate and between 5 to 10 cm in length and 2 to 5 cm in width with long petiole
s. Veins on the leaves are distinct and the marginal vein is notably distant from the leaf edge.
Flower buds appear in groups of 3 to 7 and have small conical caps. The white flower
s appear between September and January (early spring to mid summer) in the species native range, followed by pear-shaped fruits which are 4 to 7 mm long and 3 to 6 mm wide and have enclosed valves.
in Repertorium Botanices Systematicae in 1843. This description was based on the type specimen which was collected by Allan Cunningham
from Bathurst, New South Wales
in 1822
Four subspecies
are listed in the Australian Plant Name Index
:
, including the central and southern tablelands and southward into central and eastern Victoria. Discrete populations occur in the upper Hunter Valley
and also in Gippsland
. The species often appears in association with Red Stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha
) or Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa
) or other box species. It is found on hillsides and in gullies on shallow soils derived from sedimentary rock or alternatively in open flat country on deep loam soils.
It has been recorded as an invasive species in California
and the Eucalyptus Leaf Mining Sawfly Phylacteophaga froggatti feed on the leaves. Large, old trees may form hollows that are used as nests for owls including the Barking Owl (Ninox connivens).
in Victoria. It is an unusual form with contorted limbs which is estimated to be around 80 years old and is 26.7 metres high.
In Gilmore
in the Australian Capital Territory, a tree known as Murumbeeja Scarred Red Box No 1 is listed on the Register of the National Estate
. It is a scarred tree
, marking the removal by aborigines
of bark, probably for canoe
construction.
A mininimum temperature of -10°C (15°F) is required for cultivation.
native to New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
and Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is an introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where it is known as silver dollar gum, redbox or redbox gum.
Description
Red Box grows to between 7 and 25 metres, often with a crooked trunk and is noted for its domed canopy of greyish foliage. Bark may be smooth or fibrous and persistent.The juvenile leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are round and grey-green and the adult leaves are ovate and between 5 to 10 cm in length and 2 to 5 cm in width with long petiole
Petiole (botany)
In botany, the petiole is the stalk attaching the leaf blade to the stem. The petiole usually has the same internal structure as the stem. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole are called stipules. Leaves lacking a petiole are called sessile, or clasping when they partly surround the...
s. Veins on the leaves are distinct and the marginal vein is notably distant from the leaf edge.
Flower buds appear in groups of 3 to 7 and have small conical caps. The white flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s appear between September and January (early spring to mid summer) in the species native range, followed by pear-shaped fruits which are 4 to 7 mm long and 3 to 6 mm wide and have enclosed valves.
Taxonomy
The species was first formally described by German botanist Johannes SchauerJohannes Conrad Schauer
Johannes Conrad Schauer was a botanist interested in Spermatophytes. He was a professor of botany at the University of Greifswald. Amongst his published works are descriptions of the myrtles of Western Australia.-References:...
in Repertorium Botanices Systematicae in 1843. This description was based on the type specimen which was collected by Allan Cunningham
Allan Cunningham (botanist)
Allan Cunningham was an English botanist and explorer, primarily known for his travels in New South Wales to collect plants.- Early life :...
from Bathurst, New South Wales
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
in 1822
Four subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
are listed in the Australian Plant Name Index
Australian Plant Name Index
The Australian Plant Name Index is an online database of all published names of Australian vascular plants. It covers all names, whether current names, synonyms or invalid names...
:
- E. polyanthemos subsp. longior BrookerIan BrookerMurray Ian Hill Brooker AM , better known as Ian Brooker, is an Australian botanist. He is widely recognised as the leading authority on the genus Eucalyptus....
, Connors & Slee. First described in 1996 from a type specimen collected from north of Waygara, Victoria. - Eucalyptus polyanthemos subsp. marginalis RuleRuleRule, ruler, ruling usually refers to standards for activities. They may refer to:- Human activity :* Business rule, a rule pertaining to the structure or behavior internal to an organization* Game rules, rules that define how a game is played...
. This subspecies was described in 2004 from a type specimen collected near Tottington, Victoria. - E. polyanthemos SchauerJohannes Conrad SchauerJohannes Conrad Schauer was a botanist interested in Spermatophytes. He was a professor of botany at the University of Greifswald. Amongst his published works are descriptions of the myrtles of Western Australia.-References:...
subsp. polyanthemos, the autonymAutonym (botany)In botanical nomenclature, autonyms are automatically created names, as regulated by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature . Autonyms are cited without an author. Relevant provisions are in articles 6.8, 22.1-3 and 26.1-3....
, which occurs in New South Wales and has mostly smooth bark which is shed in large plates or scales and occasionally persists on the trunk. - Eucalyptus polyanthemos subsp. vestita L.A.S.Johnson & K.D.Hill. This subspecies was described in 1960 from the type specimen which was collected near St Andrews, Victoria. The trunk and larger branches usually have grey-brown fibrous bark
Distribution
Red Box occurs in dry open forest south from Gulgong, New South WalesGulgong, New South Wales
Gulgong is a 19th century gold rush town in the Central-West of the Australian state of New South Wales. The town is located about north west of Sydney, and about 30 km north of Mudgee along the Castlereagh Highway. At the 2006 census, Gulgong had a population of 1,907 people...
, including the central and southern tablelands and southward into central and eastern Victoria. Discrete populations occur in the upper Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
and also in Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
. The species often appears in association with Red Stringybark (Eucalyptus macrorhyncha
Eucalyptus macrorhyncha
Eucalyptus macrorhyncha, commonly known as Red Gum, Red Stringybark, Cannons Stringybark or Capertee Stringybark, is a small to medium-sized tree with rough, thick fibrous and stringy, dark-brown bark....
) or Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus tricarpa
Eucalyptus tricarpa
Eucalyptus tricarpa, or Red Ironbark, is a species of Eucalyptus which is endemic to Victoria and the South Coast of New South Wales in Australia. It is a tall, straight trunked tree that usually grows to between 25 and 35 metres in height...
) or other box species. It is found on hillsides and in gullies on shallow soils derived from sedimentary rock or alternatively in open flat country on deep loam soils.
It has been recorded as an invasive species in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Ecology
The larvae of the moth species Trichiocercus sparshalliTrichiocercus sparshalli
The Long-tailed Bombyx is a moth of the Thaumetopoeidae family. It is found in Australia.The wingspan is about 40 mm....
and the Eucalyptus Leaf Mining Sawfly Phylacteophaga froggatti feed on the leaves. Large, old trees may form hollows that are used as nests for owls including the Barking Owl (Ninox connivens).
Significant trees
A Red Box in Fraser National Park is recorded on the Significant Tree Register of the National Trust of AustraliaNational Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
in Victoria. It is an unusual form with contorted limbs which is estimated to be around 80 years old and is 26.7 metres high.
In Gilmore
Gilmore, Australian Capital Territory
Gilmore is a suburb in the Canberra, Australia district of Tuggeranong. The postcode is 2905. The suburb is named after the poet and journalist, Dame Mary Gilmore. It was gazetted on 5 August 1975...
in the Australian Capital Territory, a tree known as Murumbeeja Scarred Red Box No 1 is listed on the Register of the National Estate
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate is a listing of natural and cultural heritage places in Australia. The listing was initially compiled between 1976 and 2003 by the Australian Heritage Commission. The register is now maintained by the Australian Heritage Council...
. It is a scarred tree
Scarred trees
Scarred trees are trees which have had bark removed by indigenous Australians for the creation of canoes, shelters, shields and containers, such as coolamons. They are among the easiest to find archaeological sites in Australia....
, marking the removal by aborigines
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
of bark, probably for canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
construction.
Cultivation
The species is noted for its drought tolerance. Although usually considered to be slow growing, newly planted trees may have their growth rate enhanced with improved soil, good drainage and irrigation in the first two years. The species is resistant to Armillaria root rot.A mininimum temperature of -10°C (15°F) is required for cultivation.