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Eucalyptus aggregata Deane & Maiden, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 24: 614 (1900).
T: Wallerawang, N.S.W., Nov. 1899, J.H. Maiden s.n.; lecto:
NSW, fide J.H.Maiden, Crit. Revis. Eucalyptus 3: 100
(1915); isolecto: K.
E. rydalensis R.Baker & H.G.Smith, Res. Eucalypts 2nd
ed., 48 (1920). T: Rydal, N.S.W., Oct, 1909, ?C.Laseron s.n.;
herbarium of cited specimen not known to us.
Tree to 20 m tall. Forming a lignotuber.
Bark rough throughout or branches <8 cm diameter smooth, rough bark flaky and fissured or fibrous, dark grey to grey-brown.
Juvenile growth (coppice or field seedlings to 50 cm):
stem rounded in cross-section; juvenile
leaves opposite at first but soon alternate, petiolate, ovate to elliptical
or lanceolate, 4-7 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, margin entire or crenulate,
green. Juvenile leaf shape may vary considerably in a single seedlot.
Adult leaves alternate, petioles 0.4-1.5 cm long;
blade lanceolate, 5-12 cm long, 1-2.5 cm
wide, slightly glossy or dull, side-veins at an acute or wider angle
to midrib, moderately to densely reticulate, intramarginal vein parallel
to and just within margin or well removed from it (sometimes double),
oil glands mostly island.
Inflorescences axillary unbranched, peduncles 0.1-0.5 cm long;
buds 7, pedicellate or sessile, ovoid, green to yellow, scar present,
operculum conical, stamens inflexed or irregularly flexed, anthers
cuboid to oblong, versatile, dorsifixed, dehiscing by longitudinal
slits (non-confluent), style long, locules 3 or 4, each with 4 vertical
ovule rows; flowers white or cream.
Fruit obconical, 0.3-0.5 cm wide, disc slightly raised or level,
valves 3 or 4, strongly exserted or near rim level.
Seed brown-grey, 1.2-2 mm long, ovoid or flattened-ovoid, often
pointed at one end, sometimes lacunose, dorsal surface smooth, hilum
ventral.
Cultivated seedlings (measured at ca node 10): cotyledons bilobed
to oblong; stems rounded in cross-section, warty or smooth; leaves
sessile or shortly petiolate, opposite for 4 or 5 nodes then subopposite
to alternate, variable in shape but usually ovate-elliptical, 3-6
cm long, 0.6-3.7 cm wide, base tapering, rounded or amplexicaul, green
to grey-green.
NOTES
Eucalyptus aggregata (Latin aggregatus, clustered together,
of the fruits).
A small to medium-sized tree belonging to the small-fruited swamp
gums, it is completely rough-barked and has very small ovoid buds
and obconical fruit. It occurs from Cox's River north of Lithgow on
the west-central tablelands to the southern tablelands of New South
Wales and there is a small occurrence near Woodend in central Victoria.
The habitat is invariably hollows and swamps where there may also
occur E. ovata which is easily distinguished by the larger
leaves that are undulate. E. yarraensis is another rough-barked
swamp gum, endemic to Victoria, which is similar to E.
ovata in leaves, buds and fruits and is therefore morphologically
distinct from E. aggregata. The Tasmanian endemic related species
E. rodwayi is a taller erect tree which has conspicuous, large,
glossy green, pendulous juvenile leaves.
Eucalyptus aggregata belongs
in Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus section Maidenaria
because the cotyledons are bilobed, inflorescences axillary, anthers
versatile and seeds flattened-ovoid. Within this large section, E.
aggregata is one of ten species forming series Foveolatae further
characterized by being swamp-dwellers with fruit ± obconical.
USES
Firewood.
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