Eucalyptus cordata
Silver dollar eucalyptus
The silver dollar eucalyptus (Eucalyptus cordata) is a flowering plant in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae ). It is found only in Tasmania, where it is " Silver Gum" or " Heart- leaved Silver Gum" called.
Description
Appearance and leaf
Eucalyptus cordata grows as a tree or grows in the habit of Mallee Eucalyptus, this is a habit that is more shrub-like than tree-like, there are usually multiple strains available that form a Lignotuber, achieved the stature heights of 10 to 20 meters. The smooth bark is white, gray, green or yellow, often with green or purple spots. Oil glands are available in both the bark and in the marrow.
In Eucalyptus cordata is available Heterophyllie. The opposite, seated leaves in middle-aged specimens are ovate to round or heart-shaped, entire and dull gray - green or silvery gray. The petioles of adult specimens are narrow flattened or channel-shaped. The monochrome matt gray - green leaf blades of adult specimens are lanceolate, relatively thick, with gerundem or ausgerandetem upper end and verjüngent down to the base. The barely visible lateral nerves going off into a very acute angle from the midrib. The cotyledons cotyledons are reniform.
Inflorescence, flower and fruit
Constantly on a page with a diameter of up to 3 mm thick flattened or angular inflorescence stem is a simple inflorescence, which contains only three flowers.
The blue- green floured or frosted flower bud is obovate. The hermaphrodite flower is radial symmetry with a double perianth and white or cream. The sepals form a calyptra, which drops early. The smooth calyptra is cup -, hemispherical or beak -shaped, and as long and as wide as the smooth or ribbed flower cup ( hypanthium ).
The fruit is spherical or hemispherical. The disc is pressed and the fruit trays are included.
Occurrence
The silver dollar eucalyptus grows in sunny locations on acidic soils, loamy soil or sandy loam soils. It is endemic to the south and east of Tasmania, near Hobart, at the foot of Mount Wellington and near the " Prosser's Sugarloaf ".
Taxonomy
The first description of Eucalyptus cordata was made in 1806 by the French botanist Jacques Julien de Houtou Labillardiere in " Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen", Volume 2, p 13 The type material has the label " in capite Van Diemen " on. The specific epithet cordata is derived from the Latin word for heart cordis and refers to the heart-shaped leaves in young and middle-aged specimens.
There are two subspecies of Eucalyptus cordata:
- Eucalyptus cordata Labill. subsp. cordata
- Eucalyptus cordata subsp. quadrangulosa D.Nicolle, B.M.Potts & McKinnon
There is a natural hybrid of Eucalyptus cordata with Eucalyptus globulus.
Use
The silver dollar eucalyptus is used as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens.