Eucalyptus longirostrata (Blakely) Johnson and Hill is commonly known as Grey Gum (Brooker and Kleinig, 1994). Although newly introduced to South Africa, it has shown the potential to become an important species for commercial plantations (Gardner, 2001; Snedden et al., 2007).
Native to Australia, E. longirostrata is widespread in south-eastern Queensland, the Expedition Range, and the Blackdown Tableland (Brooker and Kleinig, 1994). E. longirostrata grows on a range of sites on low hills and ridges in shallow soils of sandstone origin (Boland et al., 2006). The natural distribution of E. longirostrata is shown in Figure 1.6.
Figure 1.6The natural distribution of Eucalyptus longirostrata in Australia (from Brooker and Kleinig, 1994)
E. longirostrata is a medium-sized tree with bark shedding to ground level, with a granular and mottled surface (Brooker and Kleinig, 1994) (Figure 1.7).
Figure 1.7Eucalyptus longirostrata progeny trial in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
In South African trials, unimproved E. longirostrata has compared favourably with commercial hybrid clones for growth yield, pulp yield and ‘pulp ability’ (Gardner, 2001).In addition, its high density and reported high disease resistance (Gardner et al., 2007) make it a suitable hybrid partner candidate (Snedden et al., 2007).
Eucalyptus longirostrata, commonly known as grey gum,[2] is a species of tree that is endemic to south-east Queensland. It has smooth greyish bark, glossy green adult leaves that are paler on the lower surface, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical to cup-shaped fruit.
Eucalyptus longirostrata is a tree that typically grows to a height of 30 m (98 ft) but does not form a lignotuber. It has smooth grey bark that is shed in strips. Young plants have broadly lance-shaped leaves that are paler on the lower surface, 40–100 mm (1.6–3.9 in) long and 12–27 mm (0.47–1.06 in) wide. Adult leaves are glossy green on the upper surface, paler below, lance-shaped, 80–180 mm (3.1–7.1 in) long and 13–35 mm (0.51–1.38 in) wide tapering to a channelled petiole 10–25 mm (0.39–0.98 in) long. The flower buds are arranged in groups of seven in leaf axils on a flattened, unbranched peduncle 8–18 mm (0.31–0.71 in) long, the individual buds on pedicels 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) long. Mature buds are oval, 7–15 mm (0.28–0.59 in) long and 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) wide with a long, beaked operculum. Flowering has been recorded in February and March and the flowers are white. The fruit is a woody, hemispherical to cup-shaped capsule 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) long and 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) wide with the valves protruding above the rim of the fruit.[2][3]
This grey gum was first formally described in 1934 by William Blakely who gave it the name Eucalyptus punctata var. longirostrata and published the description in his book A Key to the Eucalypts.[4] In 1988, Lawrie Johnson and Ken Hill raised the variety to species status as E. longirostrata, publishing the change in Flora of Australia.[5] The specific epithet (longirostrata) is from the Latin words longus meaning "long"[6]: 205 [7]: 1076 and rostratus meaning "beaked",[3][6]: 245 [7] referring to the long, beaked operculum.[3]
Eucalyptus longirostrata grows in open forest on hills and ridges in Queensland, between the Blackdown Tableland and the Toowoomba district.[2]
This eucalypt is classified as "least concern" under the Queensland Government Nature Conservation Act 1992.[8]
Eucalyptus longirostrata, commonly known as grey gum, is a species of tree that is endemic to south-east Queensland. It has smooth greyish bark, glossy green adult leaves that are paler on the lower surface, flower buds in groups of seven, white flowers and hemispherical to cup-shaped fruit.
