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Eucalyptus salubris F.Muell., Fragm. 10: 54 (1876).
T: between Queen Victoria Spring and Ularing, W.A., 9 Oct. 1875, J.Young;
holo: MEL; iso: K.
Mallet to 15 m tall, stems fluted. Non-lignotuberous.
Bark smooth throughout, shiny, steely grey or olive green to
tan, coppery or yellow.
Branchlets non-glaucous; oil glands present in the pith.
Juvenile growth (coppice or field seedlings to 50 cm) stems
rounded in cross-section, non-glaucous, the very base will have started
to develop typical adult bark; juvenile leaves always petiolate, opposite
for up to 5 nodes then alternate, lanceolate, 6.5-9.5 cm long, 2-3
cm wide, dull, grey-green or slightly glaucous, weathering green,
glossy.
Adult leaves alternate, petioles 0.7-2 cm long; blade lanceolate
to narrowly so, 6.5-10.5 cm long, 0.7-1.5 cm wide, base tapering to
petiole, margin entire, apex pointed, concolorous, glossy, green,
side-veins at an acute or wider angle to midrib, reticulation sparse
to moderate, intramarginal vein more or less remote from margin, oil
glands irregular in outline, island.
Inflorescences axillary unbranched, peduncles stout, broadened
apically, 0.4-2 cm long; buds 7, pedicellate, ovoid to broadly fusiform,
scar present, operculum obtusely conical, all stamens inflexed but
to varying degrees, anthers narrowly oblong, versatile, sub-basifixed,
dehiscing by longitudinal slits, style long and straight, stigma blunt,
locules 3, the placentae each with (5)6 vertical rows of ovules; flowers
white.
Fruit pedicellate, obconical to hemispherical, 0.5-0.7 cm wide,
disc level to descending, valves 3, exserted.
Seed pale to dark brown, 1-2 mm long, ovoid or flattened-ovoid
sometimes polygonal in outline, dorsal surface deeply, narrowly and
closely fissured, margin ragged, hilum ventral. (Seedcoat often referred
to as being honey-combed.)
Cultivated seedling (measured at ca node 10): cotyledons Y-shaped
(bisected); stems squared in cross-section, smooth or slightly warty;
leaves always petiolate, opposite for ca 5 nodes then alternate, lanceolate,
7.5-10.5 cm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, dull, grey-green.
NOTES
Eucalyptus salubris (Latin salubris, healthful, wholesome,
beneficial, reference obscure).
A small mallet, endemic to Western Australia. It is very widespread
in the wheatbelt and Goldfields from Mullewa in the north-west, south-east
to near Pingrup and Mt Short near Ravensthorpe, extending east and
north to Norseman and Zanthus and Lake Minigwal in the western part
of the Great Victoria Desert and north to Admiral Flat near Laverton.
The bark is smooth, brilliant coppery in season. The adult leaves
are very glossy, green. Buds are in 7s on prominently flattened peduncles.
Eucalyptus salubris belongs in Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus
section Bisectae subsection Glandulosae because the
buds have two opercula, the cotyledons are bisected and the branchlets
have numerous oil glands in the pith. Within this subsection Eucalyptus
salubris belongs to a well known small group, the gimlets (series
Contortae), a group notable for the slender fluted, twisted
shiny colourful trunks. The gimlets are further recognised by very
irregular island oil glands in the leaves and irregularly and deeply
pitted seed-coats.
E. salubris is one of 6 true gimlet species with buds in 7s
– the others are E. campaspe , E. effusa , E. ravida , E.
terebra and E. tortilis. The mallee species, E. effusa
, is a slightly atypical gimlet in having scruffy-ribbony lower
stems. The non-glaucous E. salubris is easily distinguished
from E. ravida and E. campaspe both of which have
conspicuously glaucous branchlets. E. terebra has larger,
sessile, crowded buds and fruit (pedicellate in E. salubris).
E. tortilis is morphologically closest to E. salubris
differing only in having larger buds with more acute operculum and
slightly larger fruit.
USES
Formerly used for minor construction and as firewood in the Goldfields.
It produces a light amber honey. Sometimes E. salubris is grown
as an ornamental for its colourful bark.
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