Eucalyptus haemastoma
Scribbly Gum
©Margaret Donald: Scribbly Gums (Eucalyptus haemastoma). This group of three, formed a single tree prior to being burnt.
©Margaret Donald: Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma) shoots on a young plant. The width of the larger leaves would have been 11cm - much larger than the adult leaves.
Kingdom
Plantae
Division
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Myrtales
Family
Myrtaceae
Genus
Eucalyptus
Species
Eucalyptus haemastoma
Distinguishing features
It is a small to medium sized tree (or occasionally a mallee). The bark is smooth and a grey-white. More than one species of Eucalypt can have the distinctive scribble marks on the bark.
Juvenile leaves are stalked, ovate or broadly curved and oblique to 22 x 8 cm, pendulous and blue-green. The adult leaves are stalked, broad lanceolate or curved to 15 x 3 cm, concolourous, glossy green.
White flowers appear in late spring to early summer. Capsules are pear-shaped, to about 8 mm diameter, with usually 4 enclosed valves. Distribution is restricted to the coastal plains and hills in the Sydney Region. (Wikipedia)
Size
- Size data has not been obtained.
Synonyms
Interesting facts
- These zigzag tracks are tunnels made by the larvae of the Scribbly Gum Moth (Scribbly Gum Moth) and follow the insect's life cycle. Eggs are laid between layers of old and new bark. The larvae burrow into the new bark and, as the old bark falls away, the trails are revealed. The diameters of the tunnels increase as the larvae grow, and the ends of the tracks are where the larvae stopped to pupate. (Wikipedia)
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
