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Eucalyptus approximans subsp. codonocarpa (Blakely &
McKie) L.A.S.Johnson & Blaxell, Contr. New South Wales Natl Herb.
4: 453 (1973).
E. codonocarpa Blakely & McKie, Proc. Linn. Soc. New South
Wales 55: 589 (1930). T: Pheasant Mtn, 3.2 km NE of Backwater,
N.S.W., 30 Oct. 1929, E.N.McKie, T.Youman & W.F.Blakely s.n.;
holo: NSW; iso: BRI, K, L, MEL.
Slender mallee to 6 m tall. Forming a lignotuber.
Bark smooth, grey, yellow, brown or greenish, occasionally
with ribbons of decorticated bark in the upper branches.
Juvenile growth (coppice or field seedlings to 50 cm):
stem rounded or squared in cross-section, warty on lower internodes;
juvenile leaves at first subsessile, opposite for 2 to 5 pairs then
alternate, shortly petiolate, narrowly lanceolate to linear, 6.5-14
cm long, 1-2 cm wide, glossy, green.
Adult leaves alternate, petiole 0.5-1.5 cm long; blade lanceolate
to slightly falcate, 6.5-15 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, base oblique or
tapering evenly to petiole, margin entire, concolorous, glossy, green,
side veins weak, acute, reticulation obscure or sparse, intramarginal
vein parallel to and well removed from margin, oil glands numerous,
island.
Inflorescences axillary unbranched, peduncles 0.4-1 cm long;
buds 3, pedicellate, clavate, warty, scar absent, operculum rounded
to flattened, stamens inflexed or irregularly flexed, anthers reniform
to cordate, versatile, dorsifixed, dehiscing by confluent slits, style
short or long, locules 3 or 4, the placentae each with 2 vertical
ovule rows; flowers white.
Fruit sessile to shortly pedicellate, campanulate, 0.6-0.9
cm wide, disc level, valves 3 or 4, enclosed.
Seed pale to mid brown, 1.5-2.8 mm long, pyramidal or obliquely
pyramidal, dorsal surface smooth, hilum terminal.
Cultivated seedlings (measured at ca node 10): cotyledons reniform;
stems rounded to squared in cross-section, warty (feel rough); leaves
at first subsessile, opposite for 4 to 5 nodes, then alternate, shortly
petiolate, linear to narrowly lanceolate, (6)9-20 cm long, 0.5-2.5
cm wide, tapering at base or oblique, slightly discolorous, very glossy,
green.
NOTES
Eucalyptus approximans (Latin approximans, approaching,
perhaps alluding to its relationship with E. stricta ).
A green-leaved mallee ash of the Northern Tablelands of New South
Wales. It has more prominently glandular leaves than the southern
mallee ashes. Of these, it may be related to the fine-leaved E.
cunninghamii of the Blue Mountains and E. paliformis
from remote Wadbilliga area of the Southern Tablelands of New South
Wales.
There are two subspecies:
subsp. approximans
Usually has buds in 7s and cupular to cylindrical fruit and narrow
leaves. It is restricted to Barren Mountain near Ebor.
subsp. codonocarpa (Greek codon, bell and carpos,
fruit, refers to the fruit shape).
Has 3-budded inflorescences, campanulate fruit and broader leaves.
It is known from Pheasant Mountain and Mt Norman.
Eucalyptus approximans belongs in Eucalyptus subgenus
Eucalyptus section Eucalyptus series Strictae,
because of a combination of characters: mallee habit with smooth bark,
alternate, green juvenile leaves, adult leaves held erect and with
obscure side-veins and little or no visible reticulation, single axillary
inflorescences, the buds in clusters of 3 or 7 depending on the subspecies,
with buds having only one operculum and reniform anthers, ovules in
2 rows, and ± pyramidal seeds. Within series Strictae,
E. approximans, E. cunninghamii and E. paliformis
form a small group, subseries Regulares, characterized
by the leaf oil glands being round in outline.
USE
A useful small eucalypt in horticulture.
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